Newcomer
by RLTygurr
Summary: When it comes to time travel, history is easily changed by the smallest variables. What happens when an unknown American appears in the world of Highschool DxD with nothing but the clothes on his back? *Slow start, ramps up in speed. OC x harem. Issei x his usual harem
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone! This is my first High School DxD story, so let me know what you think!**

"Hello" - Words

'Hello' - Thoughts

_Hello_ \- Emphasis

**Hello **\- Abilities/Magic spells

**["Hello"]** \- Heavenly Dragon voice

**['Hello'] **\- Heavenly Dragon thoughts

**Feel free to review!**

The peaceful drone of the main road was broken as a loud sports car screamed through the evening traffic, weaving between other vehicles with reckless abandon. The loud music blaring from the rebellious car was only drowned out by the deep roar of its engine.

After several minutes, the car slowed to a rumble as it entered a driveway and parked. The house it parked at was also small, but it suited the owner's needs to a T.

The car door opened and out stepped a young man with relatively long but dark brown hair, an athletic build, and a bit of stubble, courtesy of his unwillingness to shave daily. Even as he calmly entered his humble abode, his head bobbed slightly to the music he was just listening to.

Twisting his key in the door and opening it, the man of 25 years of age let out a sigh of relief as he entered.

"Whew, another day down." he mumbled, putting his keys in the basket beside the door and removing his shoes. Walking to the kitchen, he prepared himself a quick dinner since he was starving.

'Can't believe they had me work another holiday. I swear this promotion wasn't all I thought it would be.' he thought to himself, forlornly. He had lived with his parents for his first few years out of college, but when he was offered a promotion in Los Angeles, he jumped at the chance to not only go to one of his favorite cities but to be far away from his family.

He cracked a soft smile as he remembered them. No matter how ready he was to leave them for good, it was always a big step to buy your own house so far away. Throwing the rice and vegetables into the wok along with the chicken, the man poured stir-fry sauce in to complete the dish. It was simple, but he liked simple.

Sitting down at his small table, the brunet slowly let his mind wander. 'Those clients have been getting more irritable every day, and boss-man just shrugs it off like it's nothing. "Clients first" he says, but I'm the one who has to deal with their crap all the time. He's almost never in the office anyway.' he thought, slowly eating his meal.

After a few hours of mindless music and television, the man laid down in his soft bed. It was one of the few things he splurged on, since he had to cut corners to afford this place. No matter how small the building was, the area around LA was anything but cheap.

'Same old same old, I guess. Get up, go to work, suffer at work, come home, eat, become a vegetable for a few hours, and go to sleep. Rinse and repeat.' he thought, letting out a long sigh. 'A whole year of this and I still haven't even made any friends around here. Too busy with work, and too tired afterwards to even think about going out in the city.'

He closed his eyes and rested his arm over them, blocking out the small amount of light that seeped through the cracks in the blinds of his windows from the street lamps. 'Starting to think this is all I'll ever be: a businessman with no girlfriend, no hobbies, and no friends. If it wasn't so depressing it could be funny.' he chuckled slightly regardless, but it wasn't a happy one.

Rolling over to his side, the man tried his best to relax and fall asleep so he could wake up early the next day for work. However, his thoughts kept him awake. Tossing and turning for the next hour or two, he began to grow frustrated.

"Argh, damn it. Not another one of these nights." he grumbled, slowly pushing the covers off of himself before making his way to the kitchen for a glass of water. Although he hadn't been able to sleep, his eyes drooped and his body slouched slightly in exhaustion. He grabbed a glass from the cabinet and began extracting water from the refrigerator, failing to notice the slight flicker of the street lamps outside.

After gulping it down, he put the glass in the sink and began ambling back to his bed before he heard a *pop* that sounded like breaking glass outside. It was noticeably darker outside despite it being late into the night, and the man noticed that the street lamp closest to his house had burned out.

'Another one? This is the fourth one in the past two months. I swear some kid has to be shooting it with a BB gun or something...' he whispered, moving to turn away before another *pop* brought his attention back out the window. Raising an eyebrow, he opened his front door and walked outside only to widen his eyes as all of the street lights suddenly burst. Although the skyscrapers of the big city were normally visible from the lights that are left overnight, even from his suburban home, the only thing he could see was pitch black.

'Did the whole city's power go out at once or something? Maybe those aliens have finally come to get us this time...' he thought, laughing internally as he recalled another 'alien attack' that was really just a random power surge that knocked out a large number of generators. The media said it had something to do with magnetic storms and global warming, but the exact science of it had yet to be publicly proven.

Despite the power outage, nobody else joined him in the dark streets. You could barely see more than ten feet in front of you in the inky black of night, so unless someone came out with a flashlight you probably couldn't see them anyway.

Turning back toward his front door, he grasped the knob only to find that the door was locked. Shaking it a few times just to be sure it wasn't stuck again, the man groaned frustratedly. "Damn it, not this again! I can't do this anymore! I don't even care if I get fired tomorrow, I'm not going in unless I can get some damn sleep!" he muttered to himself audibly.

He let his head gently slam against the front door as he closed his eyes, fighting back the tears that gathered. "I can't...I can't keep going on like this..." he muttered. "Why can't things be fun anymore? Why can't I have friends to help keep me sane? I can't keep doing this alone..."

His thoughts drifted to his mother, who had begged and pleaded for him to reconsider moving so far away. Remembering her own teary smile as he left her at the airport, the tears began to fall and he sobbed against his front door. "Mom...maybe you were right all along...maybe this isn't the right place for me..."

Suddenly, light shined into his eyes from behind his eyelids. Opening his eyes and squinting at the brightness, the man realized that the city's power must have come back on. 'Faster than last time...' he thought, mindlessly. Even though he knew the front door had a key lock, he wiggled it again only to find it giving much less resistance.

Feeling a bit ridiculous for losing his cool over a doorknob, he reentered his home before wandering to his room. As he stood in the doorway, however, he stopped and his eyes widened once again.

Where was once his bed was now a dark hole in the ground. He flicked the lightswitch but the room remained in darkness. Slowly approaching the disturbance, he peered over the edge and what he saw caused his breath to hitch and his chest to tighten.

The pit seemed endless, but at the very end the man could see a bit of light from the other side. A sense of vertigo overcame him and he felt his stomach rise into his chest, forcing an uneasy gulp from him. He recalled a strange article he had read not long ago, and he inched closer to the edge of the breach. His mind screamed at him to back away, but for whatever reason he slid slightly closer until he was close enough where one wrong step would send him hurtling into oblivion.

The French had called it _L'Appel du Vide_, which stands for the 'call of the void'. Despite the name, studies had shown that it was less of an otherworldly influence and more of a slow response in our brains. Apparently, despite feeling completely safe in knowing that one can back away, our bodies tend to actually _want_ to jump from high places. People with large amounts of anxiety were apparently more prone to actually jumping, however.

Unfortunately, this included himself.

He found himself unable to speak or call for help, and as he inched closer and closer to the pit he realized that no amount of self-control would make a difference. 'Damn, move body! Move away!' he screamed in his mind, imagining a mental version of himself slamming itself against a cage surrounded by fire.

'At this rate, I won't even be alive to think about keeping my stupid job!' he began to sweat, feeling his knees begin to buckle before he knelt down at the edge of the opening. Panting, it felt like he had run a marathon just from the sheer force of will that he needed in order to fight the void.

Although the room was already fairly dark, his hyperventilating caused the darkness to encroach on the man's vision. Black spots appeared where he would normally see, and before he knew it...

He lost consciousness, falling forward into the abyss.

What felt like a short eternity later, the man cracked open his eyes to see nothing but darkness. However, he could tell he was falling as the feeling of rushing wind deafened his senses and made his stomach leap into his throat once more.

Snapping open his eyes, he could only barely make out the walls of the pit he was falling into. Reaching out with his hands, he tried to touch the wall only to realize it was much further from him than he thought. 'This hole must be a lot bigger on the inside, but how the hell am I still falling? And where am I going anyway?' he thought, starting to calm down since it seemed like he would be falling for quite a long time.

He looked below him to see that the hole _did_ end, eventually. He could see some kind of light that was noticeably closer than before, but still remarkably far away. Taking the time to calm himself down a bit, he tried to think. 'There's no way this is normal. A hole just opens up in my room after another of those power surges, I fall in, and suddenly I'm falling for what feels like hours? Yeah, I don't believe it.' he thought, resolutely.

Moments after he had officially decided that this was just some kind of prank with a wind tunnel keeping him floating under his house like those skydiving prep rooms, the light began to get significantly brighter. Squinting his eyes, the brunet shielded his face with his arms even as the wind from his fall threatened to pull them away. A bright flash and a numb feeling later, he opened his eyes before having to shield them with his hand once more.

The bright sun shined down upon his prone form, and as he regained his senses the man realized he was laying on his back in some kind of park. Leaning up, he looked around to see a large number of people staring at him. Some were seniors, out on a daily stroll with their loved ones. Others were parents, tugging on their child's arm to take them far away from him. One thing, he noticed, was similar between everyone around...

...they were all Asian.

Now, being a 25 year old white man, he was no racist, but he was not used to seeing so many foreigners in one place at the same time. Normally in the Los Angeles parks you would see at least _one_ person of white, black, or hispanic descent, but here? Not a single one. Out of the nearly 50 people he could see walking by, every single person had the trademark black hair and spoke a language that he could somewhat easily identify from his years of watching anime.

'Japanese, huh? A little strange to see so many in this area, but more importantly, how the hell did I get here?' he wondered to himself, rubbing his temples to relieve himself of the headache that was forming. 'Wasn't I just falling from some hole in my room?'

"Kon'nichiwa? Daijōbudesu ka?" He turned his head to the side to see an old man looking down at him with a concerned expression and an outstretched hand. Taking the man's assistance and standing up, the brunet smiled.

"Thanks, I'm alright. I'm not sure how I got here though, where am I?" he asked, prompting the man to put his hand on his chin in thought. "English?" the man asked.

"Yes, do you speak enough to help? I'm afraid I don't speak Japanese."

"Only little bit. It has been long time since school. I have not needed to speak English for long time. You are in Kuoh, Japan." the man said, prompting widened eyes and a slackened jaw.

"Japan? But I was just in California!" The outsider exclaimed, earning an uneasy look from his benefactor.

"You come from America? How did you end up here and not know?" he asked, before cracking a smile that was missing a few teeth. "Did you walk through the ocean in your sleep?" he asked, letting out a laugh that was more akin to a wheeze.

"I...don't know." the young man mumbled, tightening his hands into fists. 'I have to figure out what's going on here. Was the hole in my room connected to this somehow?' he thought to himself. Although he didn't speak aloud, his facial expression was one of frustration.

"Calm, child. You will find all the answers eventually. Ah, but it is time for me to leave. The wife will be unhappy if I do not get home in time for afternoon tea. You understand?" he chuckled, and the younger man couldn't help but chuckle along with him despite not really knowing how it felt.

"Yes, but be careful on your walk. And thank you for your help." he wasn't certain what the proper etiquette was in Japan, but he attempted a bow. He was unstable and wasn't sure if his head was low enough to not offend the guy, but at least he was trying.

The man merely let out another wheezy chuckle. "You are a good boy. Polite. Good things will happen for you, I think." he said, before turning and walking the path away.

Waving goodbye, the brown haired man looked around and noticed that everyone in the park had somehow vanished. 'Weird, I only talked with that guy for a few minutes. Where did everyone go?' he thought to himself, feeling self-conscious. Last time he was completely alone, he had fallen into some kind of hole and ended up on the _literal_ other end of the world.

It was still mid-afternoon, but the sun was beginning to slowly set over the horizon. 'May as well look around, I guess. Damn it, Ty, what have you gotten yourself into this time?' the man, now known as Tyson Solomon asked himself.

Dusting himself off, he realized that he was wearing a pair of joggers and a tank top, his usual sleepwear. He blushed at his attire, thinking that it may be improper to be walking around in public like this. 'Need to find me some new clothes too. Man, what the hell is going on here anyway? I can't do anything, I don't even have money!'

Padding his pockets and finding nothing, Tyson's shoulders slumped before he gripped the sides of his head in anguish. "I HAVE NO MONEY!" he yelled, not that anyone was around to hear his outburst.

'How am I supposed to survive with no money!? I can't get food or clothes, and where the hell am I supposed to sleep!?' he thought frantically. Having never been homeless, he was inexperienced on how to survive without some kind of plan.

"Alright think Ty, think. Where could I go to find a quick and easy job?" he wondered to himself out loud, before snapping his fingers. "That's it! There's gotta be a fast food restaurant around here somewhere! They're almost always hiring!" he exclaimed, reinvigorated now that he had something to work with.

However, he had no idea where a restaurant would be or how he would communicate with the owner if they didn't speak English. Filing that concern away for later, Tyson began walking toward what he thought was the center of the...town? City? He wasn't sure. This 'Kuoh' didn't seem massive, but it was far from small.

After several minutes, he arrived at a more densely populated area. The street signs were all obviously written in Japanese, so the only clues he had to go off of were brand logos that he might be familiar with. None of them rang any bells though.

As he was wandering around the streets, people would stare at him as if he was some kind of freak. 'I know I'm a foreigner, but is it really that weird to see an American around here?' he thought as he saw children and adults alike pivot their heads toward him as he walked. It was like he could feel their gazes on him, and it made the hairs on the back of his neck bristle.

His search eventually produced some results, and Tyson smiled as he entered what he thought was a McRonalds. Per the usual, most people looked at him strangely as soon as he entered. 'The fact that I'm already starting to get used to the stares is not only creepy but depressing...' he thought to himself, sweatdropping.

Approaching the front counter and waiting in line patiently, Tyson did his best to ignore the stares and whispers of the people around him. Despite knowing extremely little of the Japanese language, he managed to pick up a few words like 'American', 'man', and what he thought was 'scary'.

Soon enough, it was his turn at the front counter. The cashier, seeing his nationality and his obvious confusion, spoke in the best English she could manage. "Hello, welcome to McRonalds. How can I help you?" she asked.

Letting out a sigh of relief that she spoke his own language and was kind enough to use it, Tyson replied. "Hello, I'm not sure how I got to Japan, but I kinda need a job to pay for food. I don't have any money. Are you guys hiring?"

The young woman, who looked no older than a high school student, furrowed her brow at him. "You don't know how you got to Japan? That makes no sense."

Tyson had the decency to blush and look away. "I know it sounds stupid, but I honestly have no clue. I was in America yesterday and now I'm here." he said, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment both at the situation and for holding up the small line behind him.

The girl sighed. "I'll see if we can do something for you." She looked around him to say something in Japanese to the people behind him. From the way she was pointing at the cashier next to her, Tyson assumed it was something along the lines of 'he will help whoever is next'.

About a minute later, the girl came back with a middle-aged man who also wore the uniform polo shirt, but it was in a different color. "Hello, Sayu-chan here said you were looking for a job?" he asked, reaching out to shake hands with the younger man.

The American shook the man's hand with a firm grip, as he was always taught back in business school. "Yes sir, I somehow ended up in Japan and I have no idea how. I know it sounds strange, but I need to work so I can afford to eat."

The owner crossed his arms. "You don't know how you got here?" he asked, prompting Tyson to shake his head in response.

"You don't have any family here?" Another shake.

"No friends or anything?" Another shake of the head.

The man sighed. "Well I don't know what to tell you. We're overstaffed as it is, so having an extra set of hands around here would really cut into my employees' hours. I'm sorry, but I can't just take in anyone who needs a job." he looked genuinely sorry, so Tyson couldn't hold it against him.

"I understand sir, thank you for at least considering it." he tried bowing again, hoping that it was appropriate. He turned and exited, missing the owner mumbling to the Sayu, "He didn't look homeless..."

By now, it was quickly becoming evening and the sun was beginning to vanish behind the buildings. It was also becoming a bit colder, causing Tyson to shiver and rub his arms. As he continued wandering between different stores, the situation repeated itself. He would go in, get stared at, ask for a job, and get turned down. He tried to keep his spirits up, but it was becoming increasingly difficult to do so.

It was now nearly night time and the sun had almost completely disappeared. The man was tired, hungry, and beyond confused. And now, on top of all that, he was homeless in a different country where he didn't even speak the native language.

'Just my luck.' he thought, disappointedly. 'The one day I think that LA was a bad choice, I end up in Japan. If I remember right, a person can only go a few days without food or water, so I have some time to survive.' He managed to find himself back in the park after wandering aimlessly. Settling himself down on a bench, he tried his best to keep himself warm in the night but ultimately failed.

Shivering and trying his best not to panic, Tyson began to cry. 'This isn't fair! I don't understand how something like this could happen to me! First it's my job getting crazy, the power surge, getting locked out of my house, then ending up falling through some stupid hole in the ground leading to the Japan!' he grit his teeth in anger as the tears began streaking down his cheeks. He sobbed for several minutes before exhaustion took hold of him and he passed out on the park bench.

Due to his exhaustion, Tyson failed to notice the bright light that enveloped his right hand or the small earthquake that shook the ground.

Elsewhere...

A man rubbed his eyes tiredly before shaking his head to rid himself of his sleepiness. His black hair and golden bangs shook before finding their resting place in his usual unkempt style.

'I really have to stop pulling all-nighters or Shemhazai will yell at me for forgetting my paperwork again. Oh well, I'll just dump it on him as usual.' the man thought to himself before looking down at the data on his desk. Papers of multiple sizes and of varying topics were scattered on the desk along with a golden gauntlet with a purple gem embedded in the back of the hand.

'I think I've almost got this perfected though. I have to be close! I can almost taste it! I'll be the first one to create a sacred gear since God himself!' his excitement seemed to shake the man from his stupor, waking him up further. Looking over, he noticed a sticky note attached to one of his reports.

"Huh, 'Azazel, don't forget to put the chemicals back when you're done this time - Shemhazai'." the man now known as Azazel read aloud before crumpling the note and lazily tossing it into the trash behind him. Despite not looking or aiming his throw, it landed cleanly in the bin.

"He's right though, I may as well clean up. It's already," he looked over the clock on his desk, "2am? Man, time flies when you do what you love eh?" he said to himself. As he began putting his materials away into the appropriate locations, the ground suddenly shook.

Azazel halted his movements and looked around for a moment. 'Weird, an earthquake? But we're in Grigori right now. This is a completely separate space, we don't have earthquakes.' he thought before his eyes narrowed. 'Something is wrong.' he concluded.

Moments later a light caught his attention in the corner of his vision. It was on one of his desks that held sacred gears: ancient relics of varying magical abilities and strength granted by the biblical God to humanity to compete with the Supernatural races such as Angels, Devils, and Fallen Angels.

Rushing over to the desk, Azazel's eyes widened. "The Blaze Black Flare? So one of Vritra's hosts has awakened..." he mumbled to himself, hand on his chin in thought. 'But that doesn't explain the earthquake. Just what is going on here?' he finished in his head.

The light began to reach unbearable amounts of brightness, and even the Fallen Angel Azazel needed to shield his eyes with his arm. The light suddenly vanished along with the sacred gear, leaving the man to ponder the situation in relative darkness. He did prefer to work in low-light, after all.

Walking over to his desk, the man took a new sheet of paper out along with a pen before writing a note.

"_August 17th,2013. Blaze Black Flare. Earthquake. Possible connection. Investigate immediately."_


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey everyone! Next chapter is up, a bit longer than the last one! I'm used to having around 12k words per chapter, so I'm experimenting with smaller chapters to see if updates are a bit easier. Let me know which you prefer.**

"Hello" - Words

'Hello' - Thoughts

_Hello_ \- Emphasis

**Hello **\- Abilities/Magic spells

**["Hello"]** \- Heavenly Dragon voice

**['Hello'] **\- Heavenly Dragon thoughts

**Feel free to review!**

A black haired woman wandered through the halls of Grigori, destination in mind and a nervous flutter in her bountiful chest.

'Lord Azazel has a mission just for me? I wonder what it could be...' she thought, turning the corner and seeing her boss's office at the end of the hallway. 'Is he finally going to acknowledge me!? Is now my chance!?'

Her thoughts ran rampant as she imagined the Governor of the Fallen Angels promoting her to be his right hand woman, along with all the _benefits_ of the position. She blushed, but tried her best to force it down as she knocked on the mahogany door. For a scientist, Azazel always did have a preference for the classics as opposed to more modern decor.

"Come in." her boss's voice could be heard through the door, and Raynare gulped as she entered the most important room in all of Grigori.

Seeing his carefree expression and feeling the restrained power in his being, the woman had to try even harder to keep herself under control. "You called for me, Azazel-sama?" she asked, fidgeting slightly under his gaze.

"Come sit down Raynare, I have a mission for you."

She did as she was told, gently sitting on the large chair in front of his desk. The Governor had his feet propped up on his large desk as he leaned back in his chair. All in all, he looked more like a delinquent in class than one of the most powerful beings in existence.

"Last night, an earthquake shook all of Japan. Interestingly enough, it affected Grigori as well." he said, earning a raised eyebrow from Raynare. "At the same time, the Blaze Black Flare, one of the dragon king Vritra's Sacred Gears vanished. Normally this means that someone was born and the Gear chose its next host, but I've never heard of an earthquake happening at the exact same moment."

The woman crossed her arms under her chest. "So you think there's a connection. Something is different about it this time." she stated, already knowing how her boss thinks. He nodded, removing his feet from his desk and clasping his hands together with his elbows on his desk in thought.

"Yeah. Something happened, and it may have something to do with the System that the big man upstairs created. I bet Michael and the other Seraphs are losing their minds right now." he chuckled slightly. Raynare smiled a bit, but felt too nervous to laugh with him.

"Anyway, I've assembled a small team for you to investigate in Kuoh, Japan. We traced the disturbance to that place, and we need to know what happened." He said, prompting the woman to flinch slightly.

"Kuoh? You mean the territory of the little devil kings' daughters?" he nodded at her question. "So it's an undercover mission then." she concluded, and he nodded again.

"Yep, you've got the gist of it. Keep an eye out for any unusual power surges in the area. If it turns out to be a Sacred Gear user, just observe them. Don't approach them under any circumstances; we're trying to gather allies here, not make enemies. If we're lucky, we can stay on good terms with them." he said, leaning back again. His relaxed demeanor was not mirrored by the woman across the desk from him, as she furrowed her brow.

"So it's a simple recon mission then?" she asked, and her boss nodded. "Exactly. Get ready to head out within the hour, and I'll have Dohnaseek, Mittelt, and Kalawarner meet you at the abandoned church there. That will be your base for the duration of the mission."

"What does my timeframe look like?" she asked, uncrossing her arms and standing.

"The mission lasts until you know exactly what is going on. Whether that's finding a Sacred Gear user that awakened their power, or anything unusual happens, come back once you can make a full report." he said, and she nodded at him before turning away to leave.

"Oh and one more thing Raynare." he started, and she turned her head back to look at him. "Don't do anything stupid."

"Yes, Azazel-sama." she responded, but she mentally huffed. 'He doesn't trust me at all, does he? Just a boring recon mission where I stalk a Sacred Gear user for a week or something. Why do I even need a team for this? Especially that bitch, Kalawarner. He knows we don't get along.' she thought to herself as she left his office.

Slowly walking through the halls of Grigori, Raynare jumped slightly as a magic circle appeared next to her ear. "Raynare, you just received a mission from Azazel, correct?" a dark, gruff voice spoke through the circle.

"Yes, Kokabiel-sama. He has me investigating a disturbance in Kuoh." she responded quietly, making sure none of the passing Fallen Angels could hear her.

The man on the other end of the connection hummed in response. "If you're going there, I have a mission of my own for you to complete. Since you'll already be there, we can knock out two birds with one stone."

"What kind of mission?" she asked, hesitant to do anything behind her boss's back.

"A nun with Twilight Healing will be arriving in Kuoh within the next week. She thinks she's been sent there for some kind of trial from God, but I want you to take that one device from Grigori and steal Twilight Healing for yourself." Kokabiel said, scoffing at the mention of God.

Raynare, however, was not convinced. "You want me to steal a Sacred Gear? Why?"

The voice let out a dark chuckle. "To strengthen our forces of course. Like it or not, war is coming back. Azazel is too optimistic about our chances of survival, and I will not risk us being unprepared if a conflict arises between the factions again."

"Besides, don't you think Azazel will be proud of you if you come back from your mission not only with information about the Sacred Gear user we felt, but with a powerful Sacred Gear yourself? He would pretty much _have_ to promote you." the man said, earning a shocked look from the dark haired woman.

'I hadn't thought of that. If I'm useful to Azazel-sama with Twilight Healing, he'll trust me more and will send me on more important missions! If I do well enough, he may promote me and I'll get more chances to get close to him!' the woman thought, excitedly.

She knew her obsession with her boss was unhealthy, but she couldn't help how her heart raced and her stomach twisted whenever she saw those eyes of his. Shaking her head to calm herself down, she responded.

"Fine. What do I need to do?"

Another chuckle came through the connection. "Good. I knew you would see things my way..."

Meanwhile, in the clouds of Heaven, a group of Angels crowded around a table for a meeting.

"Michael, did you figure out what happened to the System?" a woman asked. She had an incredibly beautiful face and a body that any person, supernatural or otherwise, would kill for. This was Gabriel, one of the four Great Seraphs.

"Yes. As you all know, there was a malfunction in the System yesterday. I went into the seventh Heaven to investigate, and what I found is interesting." the man known as Michael, a handsome man with long blond hair and green eyes, said. He radiates an aura of purity and holiness, as shown by the golden halo floating above his head.

"Normally when a Sacred Gear user is born, the Gear chooses its host and stays in hibernation until they are strong enough to awaken it. This usually happens in adolescence. However, this time a Sacred Gear chose a host who was already an adult." His declaration prompted a few gasps from the other Seraphim.

"Interesting indeed. A Sacred Gear has never chosen a new host from an already living human, what makes this one so special?" another blond man with an almost effeminate face asked, elbow on the large table and head held in his hand. This is Uriel, the Flame of God, and another of the Great Seraphs.

Michael shook his head. "I am not sure, but what I do know is that things are changing. It seems like the ceasefire between the Three Factions is going to be even more strained than usual. Doubly so because the host is located in Kuoh, where the daughters of the maou (devil king) are residing."

The final man in the room crossed his large arms. "Should we investigate this? If angels or the church are seen in devil territory, it could reignite the war." Raphael, the final of the Great Seraphs, was an incredibly powerful looking man with dark hair and sharp eyes.

Gabriel sighed and closed her eyes. "We cannot afford to risk restarting the Great War. Heaven was badly crippled, and since we are unable to reincarnate new angels like the devils can, we would be at a serious disadvantage."

The group all nodded together, and Uriel spoke. "We don't want another war regardless of whether we could win or not. God did not leave Heaven to us just to risk losing it."

Michael hummed in response. "Yes, a war would be tragic for everyone. We cannot risk it, so we shall wait and see what happens. Sacred Gear users tend to bring a lot of attention to themselves, so it shouldn't be difficult to know whether they will be a problem."

Raphael stood to leave. "Agreed. We should focus our efforts on that project of yours, Gabriel. If we can bolster Heaven's forces with new angels, it would allow us to have a much stronger presence and rekindle the faith that so many humans have lost over the years."

The woman in question smiled. "It is nearing completion, but we are only missing one or two key pieces. Perhaps it shall be finished within the year."

Michael nodded at her. "With that, our meeting is adjourned. We shall meet again if there are any updates on the situation."

A bright light enveloped the man before he was teleported to his office in the sixth Heaven. His twelve golden wings burst forth from his back, shimmering in the warm sunlight that Heaven was famous for. Flying slowly to his desk, the Seraph sat down and stared blankly at a note he had written earlier. On it was written something he neglected to mention to his companions.

"_Can a Sacred Gear user be reborn as an adult?"_

Tyson awoke feeling no more rested than he had the day before. However, he realized that he was much warmer than he had been. After cracking his eyes open and seeing the beginnings of sunrise over the horizon, he noticed that a soft blanket covered his prone form.

Snuggling deeper into the blanket, he mentally thanked whoever had been kind enough to take pity on a homeless stranger. After nearly another hour of blissful rest, he decided that he needed to double his efforts of finding a job in order to survive.

His stomach growled in protest at its lack of contents, and he frowned. 'Need to find something to eat, and quickly. It'll be hard to keep searching for work if I don't have the energy to move.' he thought to himself before pulling the blanket aside and sitting upright.

However, he noticed a small note attached to the blanket. He picked it up and saw that it was written, surprisingly, in English.

"'_May fortune smile upon you today. Do not give up.' _Huh. I guess that makes one person who believes in me." Tyson thought out loud. Stuffing the note in his pocket, he folded the blanket and left it on the park bench for some other homeless person to make use of while he was gone.

'Better get back to it. Maybe asking for a job early in the morning will show that I'm not just some bum.' he thought, walking back into the center of town to try his luck at the job lottery once again.

Along the way, he took notice how there were far fewer people on the streets this morning. 'It's either after rush hour, or it's a weekend. There's practically nobody outside right now.' Reaching a corner, he looked up and saw a tall clock at the end of the block.

'8:17am. Still pretty early, but it can't hurt to see what I find out there.'

It took another half hour to reach the middle of town, where people had begun to filter into the streets in small groups. Nobody was dressed in business attire, so Ty concluded that it must be a weekend and most people didn't have to work.

He began his search with another restaurant, but received no good news again. Undeterred, he continued for the next few hours before his stomach growled in protest once more.

"Gotta eat something soon or I might just die..." he mumbled, exiting the most recent failure of an opportunity and returning to the streets of Kuoh. As he walked by, he noticed someone who stood out amongst the crowd.

She was a young, brown haired woman with a skimpy outfit and small devil wings coming from her back. She was smiling at everyone passing by, but they paid her no attention.

Giving her an odd look, Tyson began walking in her direction since it was where he was going to go anyway. 'Must be some kind of cosplayer. I know it's more common here in Japan, but I doubt I'll ever get used to it.' He moved to pass her by without attracting her attention, but it seems fate has a way of playing with him.

"Ah, excuse me!" she spoke in a high-pitched, joyful tone, "Please take a flyer!" She handed him what looked like an oversized business card from a small purse she held. He looked at her strangely then down at the paper in his hand.

The front said 'Your wish will be granted!' in bubbly font with roses, and turning it over he saw what looked like some kind of symbol with circles and strange runes around it. It was a very good looking business card, if it weren't for the whole wish-granting thing.

"Uhh, what exactly is this?" he asked her, deciding to stop and learn more about this 'wish-granting business'. What was even more curious was her ability to speak English perfectly with little to no accent. 'Maybe English was her first language too?' he thought.

She made a small bow. "If you ever find yourself in need, just make a wish while holding that card! I believe that wishes can come true if you want it badly enough!" she happily spoke, turning and looking over her shoulder.

"Hey wait-"

"Anyway, I need to get going! Bye-bye!" she cut him off, waving and running off. Tyson looked down at the paper in his hand for only a moment before looking up to see the girl was nowhere to be found. It was like she had vanished into thin air.

"Man...Japan is weird as hell." he mumbled to himself, folding the card and putting it into his pocket...just in case. 'I might not believe in wishes and magic or whatever, but if worst comes to worst it's worth a shot.'

After another half hour of wandering and practically begging business owners to hire him (and failing), Tyson sighed and began a slow walk down the road with no destination in mind. It was nearing noon, as the sun was reaching its zenith.

'No luck today either, so far. I don't know how many more companies will be open on a weekend for me to even ask.' he thought, depressed. During his walk, he noticed someone standing nervously checking his phone every few moments.

The boy had medium length brown hair, light brown eyes, an average build, and an anxious look on his face. He had to be no older than 17 years old, and judging by his outfit he was quite obviously waiting for some kind of date.

"Issei, hey! Sorry to keep you waiting." a young girl said, jogging up to the boy. She had long, black hair and a surprisingly large chest. Tyson, being an older guy with experience, knew that younger girls looked much more mature than they did back when he was their age for some reason. She had a cute face, he had to admit, but she was just another face to him.

To the boy, however, it looked like he saw her as some kind of goddess if the blush on his face and his stuttering in response was any indication. Tyson couldn't understand a word they said to each other, but he smiled at his innocence. 'Must be a first date, or something. Brings back some really old memories.' he thought, as the duo began walking back into the city toward him.

They spoke to each other with smiles, but as they passed by the American man, they gave him a short stare. The boy looked curious, but the girl's eyes flashed with something unidentifiable before her eyes widened in realization. Tyson locked eyes with her for a moment as they passed, but he thought nothing of it.

The girl turned her head to look back to him as he passed, but the boy couldn't see the dark smirk on her face from where he stood. Tyson was completely oblivious to the look as well, wandering aimlessly to come up with a more solid plan.

Hours later, Tyson had still failed to find any sort of occupation. Although the business owners were kind and friendly, it seemed as if every place was overstaffed or he simply wasn't qualified. Sighing as he left his most recent failure, the man thought to himself.

'At least one of those restaurant owners was nice enough to give me a quick burger to eat and some water. I doubt I would have the strength to move tomorrow if I didn't eat something.' The sun was beginning to set, casting the city in an orange glow. He decided to retire to the park early today in an attempt to conserve his energy.

As he walked, he thought back to the strange girl who had given him the piece of paper that could supposedly grant his wish. 'So weird. She ignores everyone, comes up to me specifically to give me a really sketchy business card, and vanishes.' Pulling it out of his pocket, he looked closer at its design. 'Something about this screams 'prank', but I can't help but be curious. After all, I had to get to Japan somehow.'

His attention was drawn by a noticeable lack of people nearby. He figured that there would be at least a few people still out in the park at this point in the evening, especially on a weekend. However, the only people he could see were two that he recognized after a moment.

The boy and girl from earlier walked side by side, and Tyson was off to the side and out of sight. The brunet boy suddenly grasped the girl's hand and they both blushed. Tyson couldn't help but smile slightly at the sight, but was confused when the dark haired girl frowned.

Suddenly, she let go of his hand and jogged forward up to the fountain. "In honor of our first date, there's something I'd like you to do, to commemorate this special moment." she said, in Japanese so Tyson understood none of it. However, her smile was back.

The kid's blush intensified, and he looked like he was exploding inside of his head. "Of course, anything at all." he responded.

At this point, the girl had approached him and Tyson could barely see her face. "Would you die for me?" she said. Although he didn't understand the girl, he knew that the evil smirk she had on her face was anything but good.

The boy looked stunned and confused. "I'm sorry, I don't think I heard that right. Do you mind saying that again?"

The girl stalked up to him and whispered something in his ear before her voice completely changed. It went from high-pitched to a deeper, more mature sound. Tyson shared the shocked look with the boy as the girl _floated_ backward in midair before laughing maniacally.

Her clothes ripped until she was completely naked for a moment as dark wings burst from her back and some kind of leather BDSM outfit appeared over her body. Overall, she looked older and had a much sharper face than earlier.

Tyson didn't know what to say, and he hid himself to make sure that he wasn't found. 'What the hell is going on with her!? She has wings!?' he thought frantically. Although he didn't want to believe it, there's no way that was some magic trick. Those were _real._

The boy was just as confused as he was, but the blush was still there. He stammered in response before falling on his behind in shock. The woman said something, probably teasing him, before holding her hand out in front of her.

Red light was emanating from her hand before it shaped itself into what looked like a spear. Tyson's eyes widened in surprise and he began to sweat in nervousness. 'That doesn't look friendly, is something about to happen to that kid?' he wondered, suddenly feeling obligated to do something, _anything _to help this boy out. His legs tensed in anticipation as he knew what he had to do.

The woman moved to thrust the weapon into the boy's chest, but she was knocked off course by a body colliding with her own. The spear skimmed the boy's shoulder but missed anything vital, and Tyson wrestled with the woman for a moment before she threw him off with unnatural strength.

He skidded across the path for a moment before his eyes widened. 'Holy shit, just how strong is she!?' he thought frantically. He had never been in a real fight before, but he was pretty sure that most normal women _aren't_ able to throw a grown man fifteen feet backwards.

She yelled something at him in Japanese as the boy clutched his shoulder in agony. Tyson stood to his feet in defiance. "What the hell do you think you're doing!?" he demanded, cradling his arm carefully since he had fallen on it.

The woman's eyes widened in response before her look of surprise was replaced with her dark smirk once again. "So," she said, in perfect English now. "I was right about you all along." Tyson was shocked as she flipped from language to language without skipping a beat.

"The hell are you talking about!?" he yelled, but she only laughed in return. "I knew there was something different about you. Even when I made sure nobody would pay attention to me you still looked right in my direction. You must be the Sacred Gear holder I was looking for."

Tyson furrowed his brow. "Sacred Gear? What the hell is that?" he asked, tensing his body in case she attacked him again.

She flourished the spear in her hand before grinning. "It doesn't matter, because after today you'll be dead anyway!" she yelled as she flew forward incredibly quickly, aiming to strike the man right in the heart.

Although he had never been in a real fight, his reaction time was shockingly quick. Tyson managed to dodge the worst of the weapon, and instead of hitting his chest it slashed his arm. He let out a roar of pain before trying to grab her arm that was holding the spear. The woman merely chuckled and gripped his arm tightly before punching him in the gut.

The air flew out of his lungs and he struggled to breathe as the woman held him hostage. The American looked to the boy, who was now standing again. "Run..." he groaned out. "Run kid!" he managed to yell before he was flung to the side by his opponent.

The young boy apparently knew enough English and had enough common sense to know exactly what he was saying. Turning to run, the woman flapped her wings once and practically teleported in front of him. "Ah ah ah," she tutted with her finger wagging back and forth, "we can't let any Sacred Gear users get back to those shitty devils, now can we?"

Tyson was recovering from his pain as he saw the woman plunge the red spear into the boy's chest, blood gushing from the wound as she pulled it out of his body roughly. His eyes widened as the boy's eyes began to lose their light, and he collapsed in a pool of his own blood.

The evil woman cackled before speaking. "Another weakling. And to think you thought I was seriously in love with you, what a joke!" she laughed at the dying boy's expense. Rage bubbled in Tyson's chest. He had never seen someone murdered so brutally for no reason at all, and it definitely didn't sit well with him.

Suddenly, he remembered the card in his pocket and pulled it out. 'That's right, that girl gave me that wish card this afternoon. If there was ever a time when I needed a wish granted, it would be now!' he thought as he closed his eyes and concentrated on his desire.

Nothing happened.

'Come on, come on! I need power, I need enough power to beat this chick! I need the power to save that kid!' he frantically wished to every deity in existence. Suddenly his right hand began to glow with an unnatural light. It took a few moments for him to open his eyes and noticed that his right hand was a bit heavier than before.

Looking down at it, he was beyond shocked when a black gauntlet encased his arm from his hand to his elbow. It had a metallic shine on the gauntlet itself, but there was what seemed to be a small dragon's head that was pitch black with no reflections. The horns twisted from his wrist back halfway to his elbow. All in all, it looked like a piece of some evil knight cosplay.

Despite its sudden appearance, Tyson only had a moment to admire it before the black winged woman noticed him. "So you're still alive after all tha- wait is that..." she trailed off in surprise.

"Is that the Blaze Black Flare!? How do you have that!?" she gasped, eyes wide.

The man looked between the woman and his newest accessory. "The what?" he asked, flatly.

Her shocked expression turned into one of deep thought. She didn't attack him for several seconds, and all he could do was stand there trying to look menacing. Suddenly, the spear in her hand vanished.

'I have to report back to Azazel-sama! Didn't that Sacred Gear vanish yesterday? How does an adult have it!?' she thought to herself before spreading her wings and jumping into the air to float above the fountain.

"Enjoy your life while you still have it, little human! We'll be seeing each other again _very_ soon!" she said, voice laced with venom before flapping her wings once and rocketing through the air at high speeds. Tyson wasn't sure what just happened, nor why she was so surprised by this little gauntlet on his hand, but his attention was drawn to the agonizing wheezes of the dying boy in front of him.

Running over to his body, what he saw made him gag a bit.

The hole in his body was clean but burned as if the spear itself cauterized a bit of his innards from heat. He was laying on his chest with a puddle of blood surrounding him. Tyson's shoes, previously a fairly clean white, were now coated in red. Still holding the little wish card in his hand, Tyson focused everything he could into his wish.

'Save this kid, please! I don't know what's going on but I'll be _damned_ if I let someone die right in front of me!' he pleaded. Little did he know what was actually going on inside the boy's mind at that same moment.

'Please...I just wish I could have touched her boobs once before I die.' he thought, darkness encroaching on his vision. Everything was a blur, but he could clearly see the red color of his blood. 'Red...just like her hair...' he recalled the girl he had seen in the window of the old school building a few days ago.

A familiar card in the boy's pocket shined with a red light before flying out and placing itself on the ground nearby. The one in Tyson's hand glowed as well before layering atop the other one. Suddenly, a large red symbol, identical to the one on the card, appeared on the ground and a bright light enveloped the area.

The American was brought out of his stupor by a young girl with crimson hair and an incredibly _impressive_ figure. It was so impressive that he truly believed she was fake. She was wearing a school girl's uniform, something that Tyson knew was much more common in Japan than in America, where kids would wear pretty much whatever they wanted.

She looked at him before saying something in Japanese. Tilting his head to the side and furrowing his brow, Tyson responded before turning to look at the dying boy in front of him. "I don't know what you just said or what the hell is happening, but we need to call an ambulance or something! This kid just got stabbed!" he cried, earning a soft smile from the girl who shook her head, red hair swaying softly.

"Don't worry, he's going to be just fine." she said, calmly. Her nonchalant attitude rubbed him the wrong way, and stood up before getting up in her face.

"The hell do you mean he's going to be fine!? Can't you see the hole in his chest!?" he yelled, but the girl's expression did not change. Her lack of reaction only seemed to infuriate him further.

"A human dying is nothing new, but he possesses something I need." she said, earning a glare. She looked down and finally took notice of the object on his hand. "Is that a Sacred Gear?" she asked, eyebrow raised.

Tyson's glare softened slightly. "That other chick said the same thing, but I've never seen anything like this before. I can worry about that later though, is there something you can do for this guy? Who are you anyway?" he asked.

She merely crossed her arms beneath her bountiful chest. "My name is Rias Gremory, of the famous house of Gremory. And I," she started as two bat-like wings emerged from her back, "am a devil." she finished.

Tyson facepalmed and sighed. "Japan really is fucking weird..." he mumbled to himself, but the girl could hear him clearly. "At this point I'll believe anything you people tell me, so what are you gonna do about him?" he pointed to the man who was most certainly close to dead at this point.

She knelt down before a small wooden box _appeared_ in her hand with a small flash of light. Tyson didn't get a chance to express his shock before she spoke. "I'm going to revive him as a devil. He'll get another chance at life, and I'll get a new servant." she said with little to no emotion.

"What do you mean _servant_? Is he going to be some kind of slave?" the man questioned, stepping forward in a defiant manner. The girl ignored him and opened the box to show a set of red, glowing chess pieces. Picking up a pawn, she set it on the boy's body.

"We don't have much time if we want to save him. Are you going to stop me from saving his life?" she asked, looking at the older man out of the corner of her eye. The American man growled for a moment before sighing and relaxing. "No, go ahead and do what you need to do. You're going to explain all this shit to me later, right? I feel like I'm in some kind of weird dream." he asked.

The girl nodded. "Everything will be explained to you in due time, but for now I need to speak with him." she motioned toward the prone boy with her head. "Do you want to live?" she asked. Tyson wasn't expecting a response since the kid had a hole in his chest, but he managed to raise his head enough to respond. "Who...are...you?..." he groaned in a raspy voice.

"You are the one who summoned me, are you not?" she asked, rhetorically. "Since you are on the verge of death, I shall gladly take you in, if you wish."

The boy failed to give any sort of response, but the light in his eyes was fading quickly. Tyson wasn't sure what would happen to the kid afterward, but he assumed living as a devil's slave was better than dying to some bird woman. "Do it." he said, answering for the boy who didn't make any sort of response to oppose the idea.

"Very well. From this day forward you shall live for my sake." the crimson haired girl said. "I, Rias Gremory, take you, Issei Hyoudou, as my ever faithful pawn. Arise and rejoice in your new life as a devil!" she chanted, causing the pawn piece to glow before sputtering out. She appeared shocked.

"What went wrong?" the bystander asked. The young woman took another pawn out of the box and placed it with the other one on the boy's body. "It seems he is too powerful for a single pawn to revive him. His potential is higher than I expected."

She reattempted her ritual but the same result happened. She was stunned once again as she repeated the process with three, four, and finally five pawns only to receive the exact same situation. Growling in frustration, she picked up the remaining three pawns that she had and practically shoved them into the boy's chest.

"This better work, damn it! How could this boy be powerful enough for all eight pawns!?" she mumbled in disbelief. She attempted her revival ritual one last time, but instead of the lights dimming, the pawn pieces glowed a bright light before a single one floated above him ominously. It glowed a darker red before bursting into dark flames. Tyson and Rias both looked at it in surprise as the previously red pawn piece was coated in a black aura. Although he had no idea what was happening, Tyson could somehow _feel _the energy wafting from the piece.

"A mutation piece?... How?..." Rias whispered to herself before retrieving four of the pawn pieces, leaving only three pawns and the mutated piece on Issei's body. Letting out a drawn out breath, the girl repeated her ritual for the final time. This time, the result was much different.

The pawn pieces glowed an even brighter red before gently sinking into his body. The wound on his chest immediately stopped bleeding and it seemed like his body relaxed slightly. The hole was still there, but as long as he was no longer losing blood he could survive.

"Did it work?" the man asked, arms crossed and not understanding anything about what just happened. Rias nodded, letting out a gentle sigh of relief. "Yes. This boy is now my pawn, and he will survive. Devils have much stronger bodies than humans, so a wound like that will not kill him."

Putting the remaining four pawn pieces back into the box, it vanished from her hand. "Now I'm sure you have many questions, and I will be sure to answer them in time. For now, I need to take Issei somewhere and heal him." she said.

Tyson looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Can't you do that here?" he asked, and the girl shook her head. "Devils have a unique way of healing each other. Doing it out here in public could cause a lot of confusion, especially if someone were to see two naked people cuddling."

The man blushed slightly, but sighed. "And here I thought Japan was weird already..."

Glancing down at his Sacred Gear, he thought out loud. "Blaze Black Flare, huh? That's what she called this thing." Rias looked at him and stood up before gripping his right hand lightly and looking at it.

"Hmm, I can't tell you much about it from a glance, but I would imagine it has something to do with fire based on the name. I will do some research after I return home and see if I can find anything about it." she said before releasing him and kneeling down beside her new pawn again.

"How will I know how to find you?" Tyson asked, crossing his arms.

"Oh don't worry, _I'll_be the one to find _you_." Rias said, smirking. Sighing again, the man turned to walk away.

"Well, better get back to the park bench for the night then. I guess I'll be seeing you soon Miss Gremory." he said, but a hand on his arm stopped him.

"You have nowhere to stay?" she asked, genuinely curious. Her bright blue eyes shone in the darkness, contrasting with her hair color.

"I appeared here in Japan yesterday and have no idea how. No money, no home, no food. It's been hell on earth." he responded, earning a questioning look from the girl.

"You _appeared_? What do you mean?"

Shaking his head, Tyson responded. "I'll explain next time I see you, I assume I'll hear from you tomorrow somehow." Rias gripped his arm tighter as he tried walking away again.

"You can stay with me. I have an extra room and I can get you some food as well if you want." she proposed. Tyson looked between her and the distance where he could see his trusty bench before sighing again.

"Fine, but no funny business alright? I need some time to relax after all this crazy stuff." he relented, and the girl smiled at him. He couldn't help the small smile that crawled onto his face as he saw how genuine her smile looked. Her smile became more devious.

"I promise I won't attack you in your sleep, if that's what you're worried about." she joked. Receiving only an amused scoff from him, she pulled him slightly closer before creating a teleportation circle beneath the three of them.

The red diagram spun in place around them before a weightless and numb feeling overcame Tyson. It reminded him of when he first appeared in Japan, so maybe it was the same thing?

Suddenly, the bright light faded to reveal a Victorian-era room. A couch and several chairs were present, along with multiple bookshelves filled with books. A large wooden desk with a comfortable looking chair was placed in the back of the room, covered with neatly piled papers. The room was vacant aside from the trio of newcomers.

"This is the old school building of Kuoh Academy, and our base of operations in this region." Rias mentioned before effortlessly lifting her pawn and setting him down on the nearby couch. She motioned for Tyson to follow her as she walked into an adjacent room.

She stopped at the foot of a soft-looking bed before turning to the older man. "I'll explain everything to you sometime in the morning, but I need to get Issei back to his own home so he can act normally in school tomorrow. I also need to heal his wound. So unless you plan to sleep with us," the man rolled his eyes at her suggestion, "it would probably be best to have the two of us in our own bed."

"Works for me. I'd do anything for some peace and quiet right now." he said, stretching his _shockingly toned_ arms above his head and moaning slightly at the satisfying *pop* of his joints. Rias's smirk returned along with a subtle bite of her lip.

"Anything you say?..." she said with a bit of a seductive edge.

"No. Sorry, but I'm not into little girls." he said, gripping his neck and rolling his head to relieve the tension. He closed his eyes and let out another sigh as a few more *pops* were heard. He missed the disappointed pout on the redhead's face.

"I'm not some little girl..." she whispered, almost too quietly for him to hear it. He ignored her and sat down on the bed before gripping his arm and wincing in pain. The wound from the woman earlier made itself known as a trickle of blood trailed down his arm.

"Damn, she really got me good." he mumbled as Rias began shedding herself of her clothing. As soon as he noticed her unbuttoning her blouse, Tyson averted his eyes. "I thought I said no."

She continued undressing until she was down to just her undergarments. "That wound isn't going to heal itself you know. It's not as effective to heal a human this way, but it's better than letting it stay like that all night without being treated." she responded before pointing at him. "Now, take off your shirt so we can get it taken care of. It should only take a short while since the wound isn't life-threatening."

The man stared at her for a moment with a raised eyebrow and she pouted at him with her hands on her hips. "Fine..." he gave up and lifted his tank top over his head to reveal a strong surfer's build. Although he wasn't an athlete, he definitely took the time to keep his body in good shape. It was one of his only methods of stress relief back home.

The redhead smiled approvingly before undoing the clasp of her bra and lowering her panties. At this point, Tyson took a deep breath and forced himself to look away. 'Damn. Even if she's just a teenager, a body like that is unreal!' he thought to himself, blushing slightly. She smirked before sitting down next to him and wrapping his arm in her own, burying it between her breasts.

Ignoring the soft sensation, Tyson tried talking to relieve himself of the awkward atmosphere. "So if you're a devil, what was that other woman, some kind of bird?" he asked. Rias shook her head.

"No, that was probably a fallen angel. They have a nasty habit of luring unsuspecting Sacred Gear users into their deaths. You're lucky to be alive."

Tyson hummed in response. "A fallen angel huh? So I assume normal angels exist too. Is God real as well?" he asked, prompting the girl to clutch her head in pain. Confused by her reaction, he looked down at her only to snap his eyes shut and look away in embarrassment.

She let out a small hiss before she returned to enveloping his arm. "Prayers and mentioning _him_ cause us devils pain. I'd appreciate it if you tried to avoid doing so." she mumbled. "But yes, pretty much every supernatural thing you can imagine exists. From devils to norse Gods, creatures like vampires and dragons are all real. The supernatural world is much more vast than humans could ever believe."

Relaxing his posture slightly, Tyson chuckled. "Sorry, but you just gave me the ultimate secret weapon against you."

Rias groaned. "Please don't."

Another chuckle. "I won't unless you give me a reason to. Anyway, tell me about these Sacred Gears that the kid and I apparently have."

She looked at him for a moment before responding. "Sacred Gears are, to put it simply, magical artifacts created by _him_ and given to special humans. Their powers and abilities vary, and sometimes a human will live their entire lives without becoming powerful enough to awaken their Gear. Being in contact with the supernatural tends to cause the Gears to awaken much quicker, and that seems like what happened with you." she explained in a scholarly tone.

The man leaned forward in a thinking pose. "So is it something you're born with, or is it just given to humans randomly?"

"Sacred Gears are given to humans at birth, and stay dormant until the human can awaken it. Usually this happens in their teen years, but everyone is on their own timeline." she responded.

The two sat in silence for a few moments before Rias spoke again. "You said you appeared here in Japan, right? What did you mean?"

Tyson sighed. "I was back in Los Angeles, California two days ago. I lived alone, worked a boring desk job, but I could survive and that's what mattered. The power to the entire city shut down and I got locked out of my house for a few minutes. When it came back on and I went back inside, my bed was gone and there was this massive hole." he explained, the girl's attention completely on him.

"The hole seemed endless, like it went on forever. I passed out, fell in and I sort of just floated for awhile. After a while there was this bright light and I was on the ground here in Japan." he said, running a hand through his unruly hair. "Felt kind of the same as when you teleported us here, actually."

Rias hummed in thought. "Is it possible that you fell into some kind of teleportation circle? But why would it appear in your house so suddenly..." she trailed off. "I've never heard of a teleportation circle being made in a hole, especially not one so deep, if what you're telling me is true. It just seems so...unnecessary."

The half naked man chuckled. "I guess things can be weird even by supernatural standards."

She nodded and giggled slightly. "Yes, there are things that are unnatural to even the unnatural." She looked at his arm before removing herself from him. "Your arm should be fine now. I need to take care of my adorable little pawn, so I'll be seeing you tomorrow." she said as she sashayed over to her clothing before picking them up and walked out of the room without even putting them back on.

Throwing his tank top back over his body, Tyson laid down on the soft bed before letting out a deep sigh. 'Just what the hell have I gotten myself into? Devils, fallen angels, magic, and Sacred Gears. It's a lot to take in, but that probably explains a lot.' he thought to himself. 'At least it isn't boring, I guess.'

It didn't take long for him to succumb to his exhaustion and fall asleep. If he wasn't so caught up in his own dreams, he would have heard the distinct sound of snoring within his subconscious.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey everyone! I'm back with another chapter, this one is a bit long. Seems like the 6-8k word count is great for me to finish a chapter within a day or two as long as I've got the inspiration and time, so I'll try to keep them around that length.**

**Also, and this is interesting to me, there seems to be a lot of people who REALLY don't want the MC to become a devil under Rias, or become any sort of supernatural at all. Just thought it was funny, and rest assured it's being heavily taken under consideration.**

"Hello" - Words

'Hello' - Thoughts

_Hello_ \- Emphasis

**Hello **\- Abilities/Magic spells

**["Hello"]** \- Heavenly Dragon voice

**['Hello'] **\- Heavenly Dragon thoughts

**Feel free to review!**

Azazel was sipping his morning coffee with tired eyes. He had spent the better part of the previous day finishing up the last few pieces of his custom Sacred Gear, and before he knew it he had skipped two meals and it was the middle of the night.

A franting knock at his door tore him away from his caffeinated savior. "Come in..." he said, softly. Even if it was 10am, it was too early for this.

A disheveled Raynare quickly opened the door and shut it behind her. Although she usually looked calm and composed, her frazzled appearance caused the Cadre-class fallen angel to quirk an eyebrow upward. "Something I can help you with, Raynare?" he asked.

"A-Azazel-sama! I have a report!" she said, panting slightly. If her appearance hadn't caught his attention, her attitude definitely had.

Lowering his mug but still holding it with both hands, Azazel inhaled the scent to help him wake up more. "Already? It's been a day." he stated.

"I...encountered two Sacred Gear users yesterday."

"Two?"

"Yes, and it's even more than that. One of them is the wielder of the Blaze Black Flare." she added, earning widened eyes from her boss. He set down his mug of coffee, suddenly appearing completely awake.

"Is that so? Tell me more." he prodded, eyes sharp and alert. She normally would be blushing and a little aroused by having his completely undivided attention on her, but now was not the time.

"H-he was an adult, older than most people who awaken a Sacred Gear. He looked just like any other human, and was just as weak as any other human, but I saw it with my own eyes. I know what that Gear is capable of, and didn't want to risk it." she concluded, finally calming her nerves.

Azazel stared off into space, deep in thought. 'An _adult_? But the Gear only disappeared two nights ago, and the new host is always a newborn. How is that even possible?...' he thought in silence for a full minute before turning his attention back to his subordinate.

"You're absolutely certain that was the Blaze Black Flare and not some other Gear, right? Did he use any of its power?" he asked, trying to get more information.

"There was no doubt about it. He didn't get a chance to use its power before I escaped, but there was no mistaking that black gauntlet with a dragon's head."

Another few moments of silence. "And how, pray tell, did you encounter not one, but _two_ Sacred Gear users in one day?" he asked, causing the woman in question to stiffen. She began to sweat as her confession drew nearer.

The Governor was no fool, and would see right through any lies she attempted. After a moment, she sighed and accepted her fate. "I tracked down one of them and asked him on a date to see if I could identify the Gear he had, and to determine if he was dangerous. The date was as boring as it could be, but the kid had a lot more power than I expected. I attacked him, thinking it was better to be safe than sorry."

Azazel sighed. "Raynare, what did I tell you about not doing anything stupid? This is why you can't seem to get promoted, you know."

That caused her to grit her teeth in frustration. "He must have been too weak to even summon his Sacred Gear, so I never saw what it was. Midway through the fight, the other user came in and attacked me. Nobody should have come near the location because of the barrier I set up beforehand, but he was already there. He looked like an American and spoke English, but he looked homeless or something."

"A homeless American in Japan? That's certainly interesting." the man mused. "Go on."

"After a one-sided fight, the second Gear user managed to awaken his Gear. I felt some of Gremory's demonic energy on both of them, so I assume they managed to pick up a summoning circle or something. I didn't want to risk being caught, so I got out of there as fast as I could." she concluded her report.

The Governor rubbed his temples. "Although I specifically told you _not_ to make them enemies, you managed to do so within a day. I honestly expected a little more from you, Raynare." he started, causing the dark haired fallen angel to look down in shame. "But," she raised her head to look at him in surprise, "you also did well both in collecting the information we needed and avoiding a confrontation with the devils. This had the potential to be catastrophic for faction relations, but you made a good choice in the end."

The woman was slack jawed. 'He...he complimented me! Even after a failure like this, Azazel-sama found a reason to praise me!' she thought, excitedly. She fidgeted slightly in place, clashing emotions causing her to momentarily lose control of herself.

"Anyway, I would normally put you on probation for ignoring orders but since everything turned out alright in the end, I'll let you off the hook this time." he said, picking up his coffee mug once more before taking a sip. "Just remember," he looked at her much more fiercely than before, "don't ignore my orders again. Do you understand?"

She gulped and bowed. "Y-yes Azazel-sama! It will never happen again!" she frantically pleaded. He took another sip of his beverage before spinning his chair around to be hidden from his subordinate. After a few moments of silence, he waved his hand in a 'shoo' motion.

"Are you still here? You can leave you know."

"O-of course!" Raynare said before quickly exiting his office. As the door shut, the Governor was deep in thought.

'Two Sacred Gear users in one place, and one of them is an _adult_ Blaze Black Flare host? Something strange is going on here, and what's worse is that the Gremory girl has made contact with them somehow. We'll have to be careful, especially since they may not like us fallen angels much after Raynare's little stunt.' he pondered in silence.

'I may need to pay those two a visit soon myself to clear the air. Plus, if that really was the Blaze Black Flare, it should be easy to identify his aura if he tries using its power. One should lead to the other somehow.' he tried sipping more of his coffee, but looked down and was disappointed to see that his mug was empty.

Waking up on a soft bed wasn't the thing that Tyson wanted the most since his arrival in Japan, but the feeling of fluffy covers was almost enough to overshadow the rising sun glaring into the room and through his eyelids.

Almost.

Groaning as he buried himself deeper under the sheets, the man slowly dragged himself into consciousness before stretching. He was still a bit sore from being pummeled by that fallen woman the night before, but that strange healing thing that Rias did helped a lot.

Now that his thoughts were in order, his mind drifted to the redhead. 'She's a strange one, for sure. Meeting a legit devil wasn't exactly what I was expecting yesterday, but she seemed kind enough. Maybe the representation of devils in the Bible was just a one-sided opinion and they're not too bad?' he mused.

Shaking his head and filing away his philosophical questions for later, Tyson got up and wandered into the main room to look around. Stopping at the bookshelves, he looked and every single one of the books was written in strange runes. 'Must be some kind of devil language, or something. Not much I can do here but wait for Rias to come back.'

His stomach growled at him as he sat down on the couch lazily. 'Hopefully I don't have to wait too long. Didn't she say they had school?' he wondered.

He only had to wait about 15 minutes before the woman in question arrived via the red teleportation circle in the corner of the room. A bright flash of light was all the warning he had before Tyson was face to face with the naked form of Rias Gremory once again.

He gave her a deadpan look as she smiled at him. "Good morning. Did you sleep well?" she asked, nonchalantly.

"Good morning to you too. I was starting to miss having a bed. More importantly, why are you still naked and standing there without a care in the world?" he shot back. She merely smirked before crossing her arms under her bare chest.

"Oh, do you not like what you see?" she asked, seductively. He rolled his eyes in response.

"I won't say you look bad, because you don't, but I have a lot more important things on my mind right now." Tyson said before his empty stomach made itself known. Rias giggled softly.

"It seems that way. Akeno will be here soon, so I'll ask her to bring you something to eat on her way. You will be meeting the rest of my peerage members today, so you may want to purchase some new clothes." she motioned toward him and he looked down at himself.

His tank top was slightly torn, bloodied, and dirty. His pants were covered in dirt as well, and his socks were soaked in red from the inside of his shoes from the night prior. Scratching the back of his head in embarrassment, the man relented.

"Alright, you've got me there. Problem is, I have no money and no idea where to even go to buy clothes here. I'm not from Japan, remember? I can't speak the language or read anything around here."

"That could easily be fixed if you joined my peerage, you know. Surely you've noticed by now that members of the supernatural can speak any common human language perfectly." she offered, but he shook his head.

"I think I'll hold off on that decision for now. I've had enough changes to my life this week, and the last thing I need is to be sworn to serve a devil for the rest of my existence without even knowing anything about her." Tyson said, prompting the redhead to hum in response.

"A surprisingly wise choice, but for the record my family is different than most devil families. The Gremory's take pride in treating their servants not only as friends but as equals whenever possible." she informed him, walking toward the nearby shower which was, for some reason, located in the main room and _completely visible_ to anyone in the room.

"Speaking of which, you never did mention your name last night. I can't just keep calling you 'you' now, can I?" she asked, meaningfully. Tyson sighed, allowing himself to open up to the girl he had met the night before.

"My name is Tyson Solomon. I'm an American, 25 years old, if that matters. Businessman and bullshitter extraordinaire, at your service." he stood and bowed exaggeratedly. The woman giggled at his antics.

"25 years old hmm? I always wondered what an experienced and more mature man would be like." she flirted, prompting him to facepalm.

"I already told you I'm not interested. You'll find that us 'more mature men' are a bit harder to seduce than just flashing a bit of skin."

The crimson haired girl sighed. "It was worth a shot, I suppose. Anyway, I'll explain everything to you and Issei when he arrives this morning. I've had him excused from classes so he can adjust to becoming a devil, since his senses are going to be overloaded."

At seeing the man's confused look, she continued. "I mentioned yesterday that devils have stronger bodies, but they also have much sharper senses than humans do. His eyesight is going to be changing to suit his new body, and his hearing is going to be suddenly much better. I've heard that it can be a bit disorienting."

"Ah, that makes some sense. It's like having to adjust to wearing glasses for the first time, or something." he thought out loud, only for her to chuckle once again.

"Not that we devils ever have to worry about that. We _do_ have some of the best genes, after all." she gloated, earning a slightly jealous pout from the man in front of her. Seeing his pouting face, she laughed out loud.

"The promise of a stronger body and eternal life are shrugged off as unimportant, but the possibility of perfect vision has you half-ready to become a devil already? Who would have thought." she mused, unable to stifle her giggles at the man's expression.

He huffed, blushing and crossing his arms. "The offer is tempting, I'll admit, but I'm still going to take it easy. Too many changes at once makes it hard to keep track of what's going on."

Rias entered the shower and turned it on, allowing the instantly warm water to flow down her curvaceous body. A small amount of steam billowed out into the rest of the room and she moaned slightly in satisfaction. "Understandable, but you'll have plenty of time to consider it. Just remember that the fallen angels attacked you and I gave you somewhere to sleep instead." she said over the sound of the shower.

Keeping that in mind, Tyson stood, removed his shirt and began stretching. Ever since he had woken up, his muscles had felt more stiff than they had in years. After several minutes, with the redhead still showering nearby, he laid down and began doing pushups, sit-ups, and planks.

After a few sets of each, he switched to one-handed pushups. By now, a thin layer of sweat covered his forehead and chest. 'Thirty one, thirty two, thirty three, thirty four, thirty-' he thought to himself as a gentle knock on the door grabbed his attention and the door was immediately opened without a response.

"Ara ara, koko ni wa nani ga arimasu ka? (_Well well, what do we have here?)_" a young, black haired woman said, a gentle smile on her face and a hand on her cheek. Tyson halted his pushups and stood to greet her, but Rias responded in Japanese to the woman, with the man distinctly hearing the word for 'English'.

The girl nodded before turning her attention to the man, who glistened slightly in the morning sunlight. "Hello, my name is Akeno Himejima. It's a pleasure to meet you." she introduced herself, bowing slightly.

"I'm Tyson Solomon. It's nice to meet you too, Akeno. I assume Rias just mentioned a bit about me in Japanese?" he asked, earning a giggle from the black haired beauty. Only now did Tyson truly realize that the girl in front of him was the perfect example of a Japanese model. She had long, dark hair and an unbelievable figure. Her bust was _massive_, even bigger than Rias's, which caused Tyson to stare a moment longer than he intended simply out of disbelief. She wore the academy girl's uniform. The blouse and short skirt combo that Japan was commonly known for seemed even more prevalent here than anywhere else..

The girl caught where his eyes wandered and giggled again. "Ufufufu, is Rias's new boyfriend interested in me as well? Perhaps we could have an affair, that would be exciting." she joked(?), earning a small blush and a roll of the eyes from the man. "But no, she said you were a guest for now and that you only spoke English." she finished. The redhead said nothing to dispute her quip.

"Actually, I speak three languages fluently. Japanese just isn't one of them." Tyson admitted, puffing his chest out slightly and causing the girl to hold her cheek again and blush a bit.

"Oh my, quite an experienced man you are Tyson. Anyway, Rias informed me that you had gone the last day or two without food, so I brought you a homemade meal. I hope you enjoy it." she said as a tray filled with a delicious breakfast appeared in her hands.

The American was practically drooling as he stared at the large omelet filled with eggs, bacon, rice, and vegetables. A glass of orange juice accompanied the meal. Seeing his expression, Akeno giggled again before handing the tray to him.

He sat down and devoured the entire meal within less than a minute, and the girl could not hold her mirth at him as he leaned backward with a satisfied sigh. "That was absolutely incredible Akeno. Someone will be one lucky man if he manages to marry you." he complimented her, and she blushed once again.

"Such a charmer. Do you say that to every girl, or just me?" she asked, flirtatiously. Tyson lost his happy expression and it turned into a small frown. He turned his head away to hide it, but his lack of an immediate response told Akeno all she needed to know.

After a few moments, he responded with a mumble. "If I had any other girls in my life, maybe." His self-deprecating comment earned a concerned look from both women in the room. The atmosphere in the room became tense and awkward as Rias finished up her shower, exiting with nothing but a towel wrapped around her body.

The timing of it must have been planned, as a knock on the door announced another guest. "Come in." Rias said with an authoritative voice. The door gently opened to reveal the brunet boy from yesterday in the academy boy's uniform. He looked around in wonder before his eyes settled on the towel-clad redhead in front of him.

His eyes bulged and a blush appeared on his face that was as dark as the woman's hair. "U-umm, Buchou (boss/president), I came as you asked." he said, in fluent English. Tyson mused that Rias must have asked him to speak in his native tongue so he could understand the whole conversation.

"Ah Issei, perfect timing. I was just getting out of the shower, you see." she waved a hand down the length of her body, as if showcasing her towel-clad body. The boy's eyes lingered on her breasts _far_ longer than necessary as a small drop of drool escaped his open mouth.

Tyson stared at the boy, unimpressed. 'So, a shameless pervert huh? And now he's basically got superpowers. Wonderful, just what the world needs.' he thought to himself. Issei wiped the drool from his mouth before realizing that there were other people in the room.

"Oh, you're that guy from yesterday! I never got a chance to say thanks before since I was, you know, dying. But, uhh, thanks for your help." he said, bowing slightly. "My name is Issei Hyoudou, second year here at Kuoh Academy. Please take care of me."

"Tyson. Tyson Solomon. It's nice to meet you as well, Issei. How do you feel?"

"I feel a lot better than yesterday, that's for sure. Buchou's healing powers really work wonders." he said, eyes glazing over as he remembered the feeling of her naked body pressed against him.

"They do. Anyway Rias, you said you would explain everything when he got here." the older man said as he picked up his ruined shirt and put it on. The woman in question disappeared behind the curtain of the shower once again before shedding her towel. The curtain did nothing to hide her shadow, and her entire figure was visible.

Tyson was unamused.

Issei had never seen anything more arousing in his life.

After a few moments of watching her slowly put on her clothing behind the curtain, she returned to the front of the room wearing a uniform that was identical to Akeno's. She began to explain the basics of the supernatural world to the two Sacred Gear users, as well as the fact that both of them possessed some kind of Sacred Gear.

"Wait, so you mean I have some kind of superpowers now?" Issei asked, excitedly. He looked just like a kid in a candy store. Or a kid in a superpower store.

"Yes, but I have yet to see your Sacred Gear, Issei. I have already seen Tyson's last night. The Blaze Black Flare, I believe it was called." she said, prompting Akeno to speak up.

"Isn't that similar to Genshirou-kun's Sacred Gear? The one that holds part of the dragon king, Vritra?" she asked, head cocked slightly to the side.

Rias hummed in response, hand on her chin in thought. "Perhaps. Knowing that fact alone does not help us with knowing its exact capabilities though. Speaking of which, can you summon your Sacred Gear for us, Tyson?" she asked, looking in his direction.

He stared at her deadpanned. "You're seriously asking me if I can just magically *poof* that thing back onto my hand again?" she just stared back at him as if expecting the answer to be obvious. He sighed.

"Fine, fine, I'll try. No promises though." Tyson said as he tried to remember the feeling he had the night before when the gauntlet materialized on his hand for the first time. He remembered being angry, but he also remembered a sort of bravery that came with it. He remembered his desperation too, but tried not to focus on it.

After a few moments of powerful concentration and no result, he shrugged. "No dice. Sorry Red."

Rias tilted her head to the side. "Red?"

"Yeah, like your hair. You don't like the nickname?" he asked, casually.

She blushed a bit. 'Nobody has ever given me a nickname like that before...' she thought to herself. Akeno saw her master's expression and giggled.

"Ufufufu, Rias-buchou already has a nickname from her new boyfriend. I'm starting to get a bit jealous." she said, deepening the blush on Rias's face.

"It's not like that and you know it, Akeno!" she half-shouted at her friend who continued laughing at her expense. "I've just never had anyone give me a nickname like that, since my brother is the current maou Lucifer. Most people are too afraid of him to do such a thing." she mentioned as she tried to calm herself down.

Tyson and Issei shared a look of surprise. "Wait, your brother is _the_ Lucifer? Like the one who opposed you know who?" Tyson asked, carefully avoiding the forbidden name around the devils. Rias gave him a soft smile for remembering.

"No, Lucifer is merely a title. The original maou was the original Lucifer, but he along with the other three maou, Leviathan, Asmodeus, and Beelzebub, died during the Great War many years ago. The four leaders of the Underworld are given one of these titles as a badge of honor."

She proceeded to explain the Great War between the Three Factions and how many were lost during the conflict. She also informed them about the Evil Piece system and reincarnation of humans into devils to strengthen their numbers. The conversation shifted to how all supernatural races have inherently stronger bodies and senses, and Issei chose to speak out.

"Oh...so _that's_ why my eyes have been all weird so far today. I didn't feel tired at all when I had to run to school, and I could hear things way further away than I normally could. That explains a lot." he concluded, proud of himself at his deduction.

"You could have all those things too, Tyson. All you have to do is say yes and join my peerage." Rias prodded, earning a sigh from the older man.

"I told you already that I'm not making that decision right now, so stop asking." he responded, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Fine..." she groaned softly. "Anyway, Issei, can you take Tyson here to buy a few new outfits? You sort of owe him one after he helped you last night." she pointed at the American, who scratched the back of his head in embarrassment at his torn clothing.

"Sure, I don't mind. You said I was excused from class today, right?" she nodded in response to the boy's question. "We can go to the mall in a bit. There's a ton of different stores there so you'll definitely find something. Since you helped save my life without even knowing me, it'll be on me. Just don't, you know, go for the super expensive stuff. I'm not rich." he chuckled, mimicking the older man's action of scratching his head. The two girls present giggled at how similar the two acted in that moment.

"Actually, I can lend you both a little bit of money. Consider it a gift." she summoned a purse before reaching inside and pulling out a large stack of bills before handing it to Tyson. She repeated for Issei, whose eyes bulged at the amount.

"B-buchou! This is like, 200,000 yen! How is this a _little bit_ of money!?" he exclaimed, trying to count the stack and eventually giving up. Rias smiled at her servant. "Did I mention that the Gremory family owns an estate that's nearly the size of Japan? An amount like this is pocket change at most."

Tyson, being a businessman, was well versed in currency exchange rates. It was easy to convert between Japanese yen and American dollars, since $1.00 USD was roughly worth 100 yen. He knew that this was a large amount of money to just hand someone you met less than 24 hours ago, but he hid his shock well.

"Thank you, Rias. It really does mean a lot that you guys are willing to help me out here. With all the craziness lately, I appreciate that someone has my back." Tyson said, bowing deeply to her. He didn't know if since he wasn't completely aware of the customs in Japan, but he showed a very high amount of respect with that bow.

She merely smiled in return. "Think nothing of it. You helped my new servant, so consider that payment for your services." she waved it off like it was nothing more than a daily occurrence. "Now, I want the two of you to be finished shopping and such before the end of classes today. The rest of the Occult Research Club will be meeting immediately after classes let out."

"Occult Research Club?" Tyson raised an eyebrow at that.

"A club to study the supernatural. It's really just a cover so we can perform our devil business without suspicion from the regular students." the redhead responded. Tyson lazily put his hands behind his head.

"Works for me. You ready to go, kid?" he asked his fellow male, who nodded.

"Yeah, the mall is only a few blocks away from here. Buchou, do you need me for anything else?" he asked his master, who shook her head negative. "No, just be back to meet everyone. And Tyson," she looked toward her guest, "if you need help choosing anything, you can always ask me for advice." she finished with a flirtatious grin. Issei blushed, and Akeno giggled.

The man in question, however, merely gave her a smile and rolled his eyes. "Noted. Let's go Issei." he slapped the younger man's back lightly as he walked out the door to leave the ORC. The shorter brunet followed closely behind him as the left, leaving the two women alone in the clubroom.

"I knew about Issei, but you didn't tell me that the other one was cute too. Give a girl a warning next time, Rias." the black haired beauty joked, smiling innocently at her master. The crimson haired woman chuckled. "I thought it would be more interesting to not tell you the details. His situation is a bit...unusual."

Akeno gained a curious expression. "Unusual? How so?"

"He was living in America until about two days ago. Some giant hole opened up in his home and he passed out, falling in. There must have been some kind of teleportation circle at the bottom, because he apparently appeared here in Kuoh. He'd been starving and homeless, trying to find a quick job so he could eat, before he encountered Issei and a fallen angel who attacked them."

The beautiful dark haired woman's expression darkened noticeably. "Oh my, such a filthy creature attacked those two? Ufufufu, if only I had been there to punish her myself." her voice dripped with ill intent, and Rias merely sighed at her Queen's prejudice.

"Yes, but we're lucky that my familiar managed to give both of them a summoning card on the same day. The coincidences keep piling up, but it all worked out in the end." she said, pulling some of her red hair behind her ear and out of her face.

"Are you planning on adding Tyson to your peerage as well, Buchou? I certainly wouldn't mind his company." Akeno licked her lips at the thought of _abusing_ that delicious body of his to her heart's content.

Rias hummed in response. "The thought has definitely crossed my mind, but he's pretty much against the idea right now. Pushing it any more than I already have will just push him away at this point. Either way..." she trailed off into a mumble.

"I'll need all the help I can get."

Within the hour, Tyson and Issei had arrived at the mall. "Well, here we are. Let's hurry and see what we can find. I may as well get an outfit or two while we're here, and if we finish quick enough we can check out the hentai section of the manga store!" Issei exclaimed, excitedly.

Tyson rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Do you really need to shout that kind of stuff out to the world?"

"Of course I do! I'm a proud super-pervert! Oppai are the best things in the world!" the boy cried out. Seeing the older mans' unimpressed face, his smile faltered. "You don't like oppai, Tyson?" he asked his new companion.

"If you're referring to boobs, then yes, I do like them. I don't feel the need to shout about how great they are, though. Some things are better off kept inside your head."

"But how could you not want to talk about them!? They're all amazing! Big ones, small ones, some as big as your head!" the boy yelled, prompting the older man to chuckle at the reference.

"As great as they are, try keeping it down a little. I've only been in Japan for a few days but I know that most people here speak enough English to know exactly what you're saying." Tyson smiled as they walked into the mall.

It only took a few minutes for them to reach the first set of clothing stores. Issei had to help identify what each store sold, since most of the brand names were completely foreign to the American. In return, Tyson grabbed the native's collar and pulled him away from the manga store, saying that 'we can come back after we finish everything we actually need to do'.

He had to promise that they would come back no matter what in order for Issei to stop resisting and resume their small shopping spree.

By the end of the following hour, Tyson had thrown his destroyed clothing into one of the trash bins and was now wearing one of his new outfits. He wore a simple set of khaki pants, the stretchy kind that were somewhat tight and showed off his athletic figure but were not uncomfortable, along with a similarly tight blue V-neck t-shirt. Simple, but sometimes simple was effective. In his hands he carried several bags filled with various outfits for different occasions such as workouts, cold weather, sleepwear, and undergarments. He also picked up a few pairs of new shoes that matched his pants and the aforementioned occasions.

He had had his hair fixed by a stylist who, thankfully, spoke perfect English and was easily able to understand what he was aiming for: a somewhat wild and slicked back look that showed off his strong jawline and gave him a carefree vibe. She gave her own suggestions on how to improve it as his hair grew longer, to which the man thanked her and allowed her to wash and massage his head. Issei could see the slight blush on the woman's face, but chose not to say anything until they were finished and out of the salon. ** [Author's Note: If you want a reference, look at Joichirou Yukihira's hairstyle from Shokugeki no Soma]**

"Damn pretty boys make getting girls so easy! Why is the world so unfair!?" Issei complained, crossing his arms with his own bag in his hand. Raising an eyebrow, Tyson looked at his partner. "Are women and oppai the only things you think about?"

Issei thought for a moment. "Well most of the time it's either oppai, hot girls, games about oppai, food, _oppai in-motion_, and sometimes school stuff." he listed them off and Tyson sweatdropped at the boy's obvious priorities in life.

Facepalming, Tyson mumbled. "I shouldn't have bothered asking..." After finishing up their shopping, they went back to the manga store as promised. Issei immediately rushed to the hentai section while the American browsed the covers of whatever he could find. He couldn't read any of the titles or genres, so the pictures were the only way for him to know what type of story it was.

A few minutes later, the boy came running out panting slightly with a hefty blush on his face, as well as a single DVD and a manga book. He purchased them both and excitedly ran up to his older companion. "You get what you came for?" Tyson asked, putting his latest interest back on the shelf.

"You bet! The brand new volume of Momo's Adventure was still in stock! This one is called 'Momo's Adventure: Attack of the boner men'. It's got skeletons in it and an even deeper plot! I even got the DVD version to watch!" he exclaimed, and Tyson sighed once again. 'I'm starting to feel like a dad with his hyperactive son at this point.' he thought to himself. `God, I hope this isn't what parenthood is like.'

The time was nearing 2:00pm, so the duo grabbed a quick lunch from the food court and sat down. The entire time, Tyson had the feeling he was being watched. It was uncomfortable, but he tried his best to eat as if nothing was wrong.

That became much more difficult as soon as he spotted a strange man staring at him.

The man looked older than himself, possibly in his thirties as evidenced by the slight creases on his face. His hair was two-toned, with the majority of it being black and the bangs being a yellowish gold color. He wore a business suit but without the tie and the top two buttons undone, giving him a bit of a relaxed appearance.

Said relaxed appearance was completely the opposite of the focused stare he was currently giving the two of them. He was in the food court, sitting at a nearby table, but was not eating anything. This was curious enough, but what was even more curious was that Tyson felt _something_ from the man. It was as if the man exuded an _aura_ of some kind that Tyson could instinctively sense.

Feeling uncomfortable under the man's gaze, Tyson rushed to finish his meal and encouraged Issei to do the same. Ignoring his inner curiosity, the younger man complied. After they both finished and picked up their bags, they quickly left the mall. Out of the corner of his eye, Tyson was able to spot the suspicious man standing up and following them.

'Not very discreet, is he?' he thought to himself. 'He knows that I'm aware of him, and he's following us anyway. This could be dangerous.' The man quickened his pace slightly, hoping that his companion wouldn't notice and would match his pace.

After a few minutes of fast-walking, the duo were reaching the end of the block where they would cross the streets. Coming up to the corner, a familiar golden-banged man stepped out in front of them from behind the buildings. Tyson tensed, feeling nervous as the thought of the man being some kind of mugger or enemy crossed his mind.

"Relax kiddo, I'm not here to hurt ya." the man spoke in a carefree tone. "You did well to see me back there though, I'm a bit surprised. I was only letting a tiny bit of my aura out and you could feel it."

Issei looked between the two older men confused. "Hey Tyson, do you know this guy?" he asked, earning a shake of the head from his partner.

"No. He was following us most of the time at the mall, and he was staring directly at us while we were eating."

The suspicious man's eyebrows rose slightly. "So you noticed it that early, eh? You've exceeded my expectations. I wasn't even testing you at that point." he said, putting his hands in his pockets.

The American's fists clenched a bit. "So, what do you want?" he asked, demandingly. "The fact that you're talking about auras and power, as well as the fact that you're speaking English without any accent whatsoever tells me that you're more than just a human.

The man laughed openly. "I like you already kid! Excellent deduction skills! You're absolutely right, I'm not human at all. The name's Azazel. I know a bit about you, Mister Hyoudou, but very little about your friend here. Tyson, was it?"

The brunet in question let out a quick breath. "Tyson Solomon. Nice to meet you, or whatever. So what do you want, _Azazel_?" he asked, accusingly.

Azazel put his hands up placatingly. "Easy there tiger, no need to be so aggressive. I just came to see what caused all the ruckus these past few days. Aaaaaaand I may have come to apologize on behalf of my subordinate who attacked you both last night." he finished, scratching the back of his head and smiling.

Rage bubbled in Tyson's chest, and the same could be said for Issei, to a lesser extent. "That chick was one of yours?" the American spoke in a dark tone. Azazel seemed completely unaffected.

"Yep. Her orders were to observe the two of you, and _not_ do something that could cause the second Great War. Sorry for the inconvenience but hey, all's well that ends well right?" he said, a little too joyfully.

Issei decided to speak up. "_Inconvenience!? _She killed me!" he shouted, waving his arms in the air. Azazel merely chuckled at him. "It's no big deal, you're in a better place now right? Tell me kiddo, did you get a chance to touch the Gremory girl's tits yet?" he seemed genuinely curious, but Tyson could tell it was half-serious and half an excuse to make the boy like him.

Issei stood ramrod straight at that. "No! But I will! Her oppai will be mine, I swear it! I'll become the greatest harem king to ever live, believe it old man!" he exclaimed, shouting his dream to the world. Thankfully, nobody was around to hear it courtesy of a barrier Azazel had set up.

Said man laughed. "Your dream is to become the harem king? You can't do that if you're a virgin though, right?" he asked rhetorically, earning an ashamed look from the boy. "Better fix that."

Tyson had heard enough. "Are you really here just to give some half-assed apology? I've been through a lot of shit these past few days and the last thing I need is to be followed around by fallen angels." he said, eyes narrowed.

The carefree expression on Azazel's face vanished completely as a look of complete focus replaced it. "Do tell, Mister Solomon. I've heard that you have the Blaze Black Flare, one of Vritra's Sacred Gears." he asked, and Issei looked a bit confused.

Tyson relaxed slightly, but was still on guard. "That's what your subordinate called it, but I can't make it appear again. She got pretty scared of it, though. Know anything about it?" he asked, probing for information.

Azazel smiled, but was still laser-focused. "You, my boy, are talking with the lead researcher on Sacred Gears. I know just about everything there is to know about that thing, including what's inside of it."

Both brunettes shared a look before returning to the stranger. "Let me guess, there's some kind of ghost in it or some shit." Tyson guessed, causing Azazel to lose more of his composure and chuckle.

"You're not too far from the truth, actually. That Sacred Gear is part of one of the 13 Longinus, said to possess powers that can kill a God. Within that particular one is one of the pieces of Vritra, a dragon king. Because of his rampages, his soul was split into four pieces and sealed into Sacred Gears."

Tyson looked down at his right hand for a moment, recalling the look of the gauntlet that had appeared. "What can it do?"

"Since Vritra's power was split into four Sacred Gears, each one possesses a specific ability from him. The Blaze Black Flare has the ability to create pitch-black, cursed flames that can apparently snuff out holy power completely. Although I haven't confirmed it, since all the test subjects died in terrible agony, the flames supposedly burn away magical energies." Azazel stated, and both boys widened their eyes as they looked at each other.

Issei was the first to speak. "Woah, that sounds awesome! Super dangerous and scary, but awesome!" he cheered, suddenly wanting to see it in action. Tyson's reaction was a bit more subdued, but no less amazed.

"It definitely sounds powerful, that's for sure. Doesn't do me any good if I can't make it appear though. How can stuff like this even exist?"

Azazel chuckled again. "When you live as long as I have, since the big man upstairs in Heaven created us, you see some pretty incredible things. It's one of the reasons I don't mind being a fallen angel; you have the freedom to do what you want, when you want. I've dedicated my life to researching the Sacred Gears in hopes of truly understanding what the big guy really intended for the world to be."

Tyson was shocked, while Issei was a bit lost. "You said you're the lead researcher on Sacred Gears right? Issei here apparently has one too, but we don't know which one. I don't think he's awakened it yet." he motioned toward the shorter boy with his head, as Azazel rubbed his chin in thought.

"Unfortunately, I can't tell exactly what you have until you awaken it. Until you're strong enough to handle it, it won't appear. Next time you get a chance to sit down and think, imagine the strongest things you can think of and sort of use your willpower to make it a reality. Sacred Gears are unique in that they respond to the user's imagination, creativity, and most of all, their emotions." he said.

Azazel continued his small lecture. "For example, you could use the Blaze Black Flare to create a ball of fire, or you could make it into a spear. Fire is pretty chaotic compared to the light that angels and fallen can use, so it's harder to control, but the results can be devastating."

Tyson and Issei both shivered as they recalled Raynare's light spear slicing through them as if they were paper. Azazel, noticing this, drove the conversation elsewhere. "Anyway, a good tip for awakening a Sacred Gear is to exercise your body and your mind. There's a sort of balance that needs to happen in order for it to work out the first time. Now, I feel like I've overstayed my welcome so I'll be heading back to my headquarters in Grigori. Take it easy you kids!" he called out as twelve pitch-black wings sprouted from his back and he flew away.

Tyson and Issei were stunned for a moment in silence before Issei pulled out his phone to check the time. "Oh shit, we're late! Buchou is gonna kill us!" he yelled, beginning to run the last block and a half to the Academy.

Entering the ORC clubroom, the two were greeted by an impatient-looking Rias tapping her foot and looking at the watch on her wrist. "Do you two have _any_ idea what time it is?" she asked, angrily. They both had the decency to look sheepish since they knew they had gotten carried away.

"Uhh, time for me to get a watch?" Tyson joked, causing the redhead to pinch the bridge of her nose in frustration and sigh.

"I swear I was _this_ close to sending someone to find you two. Classes let out almost an hour ago, and I _specifically _remember saying to be back before then."

"Sorry Buchou, we got...held up." Issei looked away as he spoke, and Rias picked up on it.

"Issei."

"Yes?"

"What. Happened?"

He began to crack under the pressure, and if you looked closely you could see thin amounts of dark energy wafting from the young woman's body. Tyson shivered a bit at the sensation it gave off, but decided to take the lead.

"Some guy was stalking us through the mall. He cornered us a block or two away to talk. Said his name was Azazel. Weird guy, lots of wings."

Rias was gobsmacked. It took all of her willpower not to slap the two men in front of her. The three individuals seated behind her all had widened eyes at the sound of that name.

"You met...with the fucking GOVERNOR OF THE FALLEN ANGELS!?" she asked/shouted, causing both men involved to flinch and look away nervously. The others in the room had never heard their master curse so blatantly, so their expressions of surprise were genuine.

"To be fair, we didn't get much of a choice. He followed us the whole time while we were shopping. He was even getting his hair styled right next to me at one point. He didn't even change his style from when he first came in, though." Tyson mused, causing Rias to take a closer look at him.

If she thought Tyson looked attractive before while wearing extremely casual clothes that were ruined, she _definitely_ thought he looked good now. Issei had a cute look to him that was endearing, but this was 100% man standing before her. His clothing hugged his muscles in just the right way without looking too show-offish, and with his hair properly cared for, it framed his face perfectly.

However, she was too angry to dwell on the man's appearance for long. "What did he talk to you two about?" she demanded, crossing her arms beneath her chest.

Issei chose to answer her. "He apologized for his subordinate who attacked us. Apparently she disobeyed his orders, but that still doesn't excuse the fact that I fucking died! The jerk had the balls to laugh about it too!" he complained, huffing.

Tyson added in. "He told us a lot about Sacred Gears too. Gave us some tips on how to awaken them as well as how to make the most use out of them. I guess that information was his way of actually apologizing for what happened. The guy sounded like he really knew what he was talking about, so I believe him."

Rias, by now, had calmed down from the knowledge that nothing bad had happened and sighed. "Thank maou you both are safe, at least. Anyway, let me formally introduce the two of you to the rest of my peerage."

She pointed at each member individually. "You both have already met Akeno, she's my Queen."

Said woman bowed slightly with a smile. "We have already met, but let me introduce myself once again. My name is Akeno Himejima, third year here at Kuoh Academy. Please take care of me." she ended with a giggle before making her way into another room.

She pointed to a young man who put his book aside and stood. He had medium-length blond hair, steel-blue eyes, and a single mole under his left eye. He had a thin build and a kind air about him. "This is Kiba, he's my Knight."

"My name is Kiba Yuuto, second year at Kuoh Academy. It's a pleasure to meet you both, so please take care of me." he said with a formal bow.

Rias then pointed toward the final member who remained seated while snacking on some kind of chocolate. She had short, white hair with two long bangs the framed the side of her face and sharp, golden eyes. Her frame was very small, making her seem much younger than the others. "This is Koneko, she's my Rook."

The white haired girl spared them both a glance before introducing herself with a soft, almost bored tone. "Koneko Toujou, first year, please take care of me." She resumed eating her snacks as soon as her introduction was over.

Rias smiled at the two boys. "Now go ahead and introduce yourselves. We're all family here, so don't be nervous."

Tyson nudged the boy next to him to start, since he was actually a part of this 'family'. Issei swallowed the lump in his throat and spoke. "M-my name is Issei Hyoudou, second year at Kuoh Academy and Buchou's new Pawn, please take care of me!" he finished with a small bow.

Everyone's attention was now on the last one in the room, who they could easily feel was _not_ a devil like themselves. "Yo. My name is Tyson Solomon, I appeared here in Japan two days ago, I'm 25 years old, and this is all pretty new to me so please take care of me, or whatever." he said, giving a lazy two-finger salute instead of a bow.

Kiba was the first to respond. "What do you mean you _appeared_ in Japan?"

"I'll let your master explain that one. I feel like I've explained it too many times in the past day." he responded with a small yawn.

Rias explained his situation, causing Kiba to furrow his brow in thought and Koneko to halt her annihilation of her sweets for a minute to think. "Strange, you somehow teleported here from America and you have a Sacred Gear? That doesn't sound like a coincidence." the blond boy said.

Koneko gave a small nod and a short addition to the conversation. "Sounds fishy."

Rias clapped her hands to get everyone's attention. "Yes, but we have plenty of time to worry about that tomorrow. For now, we have to welcome our new family member!" she exclaimed happily as Akeno walked in from the other room with a massive cake.

"Ooohhhhhh, that looks amazing Akeno!" Issei said as his mouth started to water.

Tyson grabbed a small piece and sat down on the couch next to the white haired rook. He said nothing, but slowly ate small pieces of the pastry as he observed the nearby devils with intrigue.

'They're all so carefree...' he thought as he remembered being alone most of high school and then having what he called 'fake friends' in college. They were great while he was there, but as soon as they had all graduated it was like he never existed.

His expression became somber, and the girl beside him seemed to notice. "You okay?" she asked, quietly so nobody else could hear. The man appreciated her concern and her subtlety. He didn't want everyone to worry about him, after all.

"Yeah...this just brings up some old memories."

"Good ones?" she asked.

"Not all of them, but most of them, yeah."

They spent the next few minutes in silence as Issei professed his undying love for oppai and his dream to become a harem king in front of the rest of Rias's peerage. Tyson chuckled at him. "I've got to admit, he's quite the character." he said, softly.

The Rook finished the last bite of her slice of cake. "Perverts are the worst." she mumbled, causing the American to smile. Although she seemed like an emotionless girl, he could tell that there was a strong personality hidden within Koneko somewhere.

He looked down at the remainder of his cake before looking at Koneko, who had been trying and failing to subtly stare at his slice. "Do you want the rest?" he asked, holding the small plate out to her.

Her eyes shone with the most emotion she had given any of them so far. "Thank you..." she said, grabbing the plate and beginning to eat small bites of her new treat. After a few moments of watching the man sit on the couch while smiling to himself about something, the girl held her bag of snacks out toward him.

"Want one?" she asked, shaking the bag a bit to rattle its contents. "Sure, thanks." Tyson responded as he grabbed a small chunk of chocolate before tossing it into his mouth. His eyes lit up a bit at the delicious flavor, and the white haired girl gave a small smile before returning to her sweets.

By now, the other members of the club gave a soft smile at the sight. Issei, confused and looking between the other devils, whispered to Kiba. "Hey, why did everyone get so quiet?"

Kiba let out a quiet chuckle before responding. "Koneko never shares her sweets with anyone. That was the first time." he said, earning an "oh" from the brunet boy.

After another half hour or celebrating, everyone was heading home. After all, they did have school in the morning and needed to finish their assignments. It didn't take long for Tyson to be left alone with Issei and Rias in the clubroom.

"Tyson, I think it may be a good idea for you to live with Issei for the time being." the redhead stated, earning a curious look from the older man. "You can't exactly stay here on school grounds forever, you know. Even if you're a part of the supernatural world now, there are some things we devils need to keep to ourselves." she added.

"Don't you think his parents will be suspicious of some random American suddenly staying in their home?" he asked, arms crossed and eyebrow raised.

"Actually..." Issei began nervously, "my parents have a bad habit of trusting anyone easily. They'll probably accept you with open arms without even asking many questions."

Facepalming in unison, Tyson and Rias shared a look. "Well, if all else fails I can always use magic to make them accept you." the girl said. The adult shook his head.

"I'd prefer it if we didn't have to go that far. We'll think of a little cover story and it'll work out." he said, confidently. Rias sighed at his positive attitude.

"Regardless. Issei, do you mind having Tyson stay with you for a while?" she asked with a smile.

The boy shook his head. "Not at all! He helped save my life, and I still need to have him watch Momo's Adventure: Attack of the boner men with me so he can see the glorious world of oppai!" he shouted, acquiring a pervy grin on his face.

The man in question pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a groan. "Issei, I'm already well aware of how boobs are. I don't need to watch some hentai video with you. Don't you think that's weird?" he asked.

The younger brunet shook his fist in the taller man's face. "Not at all! Just because you're not a virgin doesn't mean you can act better than me!"

Tyson sighed again. 'I swear if I sigh this often every day I'm going to get wrinkles.' he thought to himself before grabbing the shorter male's collar and beginning to drag him out of the room.

"Sorry about this. Issei will tell me if you have any updates for me, but just in case he forgets, find some way to contact me yourself alright?" he waved to the redhead as he opened the door and pulled the complaining boy with him.

Rias sweatdropped. 'It's like watching two brothers bicker and fight.'

It took a full 5 minutes of dragging before Issei relented and stopped resisting. It took the promise of giving him tips on how to pick up girls to do so, but Tyson thought it was worth it. The boy was now a ton stronger than he was since he was a devil, and the only reason he had been able to drag the boy in the first place was because he wasn't really trying to escape.

They soon arrived at a modest, two story house in a fairly nice neighborhood. Issei opened the door, which was unlocked, and announced his presence as he removed his shoes. "Tadaima! (_I'm home!_)" he called. The foreigner followed him inside, removing his shoes as well before awkwardly standing near the door.

"Okaeri Issei! (_Welcome home, Issei!_)" two adults responded happily. Issei walked in to greet them. The older man looked to be in his forties while the woman was maybe in her late thirties at most. They were both in the kitchen cooking something that smelled like chicken.

The boy began speaking to his parents in Japanese before pointing toward the door where the American stood. Suddenly, the father approached him and spoke in fairly clear English.

"Hello, my name is Gorou Hyoudou." he introduced himself, reaching out for a handshake which Tyson returned with a smile. "Tyson Solomon. It's a pleasure to meet you, sir."

"Our boy said you needed somewhere to stay for a bit, is that right?" the man asked, motioning for him to follow into the kitchen. The smell intensified as they approached until it was everywhere, and boy did it smell _delicious_.

"That's right. I came here looking for work, but it's a lot harder when you don't speak the native language." he admitted, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "Before I knew it, I had run out of money and couldn't afford my apartment anymore."

Hearing this, the woman set down her spatula and walked up to him before sizing him up from top to bottom. She put her hands on her hips and with the cooking apron she was wearing, Tyson had to admit she looked the part of the dutiful housewife.

"Now that won't do! Handsome young men like you can't be living out on the streets where it's dangerous!" she huffed slightly before calming down. "I'm Miki Hyoudou, welcome to our home!" she exclaimed, arms wide to showcase their house.

"My name is Tyson Solomon. It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am." he bowed as deeply as he could without losing his balance. "Do you mind if I stay with you for a short time while I find a new job? I feel like I'll have better luck during the week than on weekends when the offices are closed."

She shared a look with her husband before returning her gaze to him, still bowed. "Issei said you saved him from a mugger, so I suppose I should thank you for protecting my son. You don't seem like a troublemaker, so I have no problem with you living with us until you can get back on your feet. It's the least I can do." she said, smiling at him as he straightened from his bow.

Gorou smiled at him as well. "I'm sure your parents would be proud of you trying your hardest here in Japan. For now, you can think of us as your own parents." he said, making his wife look at him with surprise.

"You took the words right out of my mouth! Maybe we can finally have a son that isn't screaming about oppai and porn! Maybe this one will actually give us some grandchildren!" she exclaimed, holding her husband's hands with a starry eyed look which her husband shared.

Both Tyson and Issei sweatdropped and shared a look that said 'I'm sorry you have to deal with this'.

After a relatively hectic dinner filled with questions about Tyson's life both in America and in Japan, the two young men made their way to Issei's room. They both dropped off their shopping bags in the corner. Tyson made to leave, but was stopped by the younger male's voice.

"Hey, Tyson?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you mind if we talk for a bit?"

"Sure, bud. What's on your mind?" he turned and sat down on the boy's bed with him. Issei was looking down at his hands with a blank expression.

"A lot, actually. All this turning into a devil stuff, the supernatural world, and all that. It's a lot to take in, you know?" he asked, and the older man hummed in response.

"You can say that again. I mean, who would have thought all this was hiding right under our noses the whole time?" he said, more to himself than to Issei. The man stretched before laying back across the bed.

"It's just crazy. Especially since..." he trailed off, with a sad look on his face. Tyson noticed and poked the boy's shoulder.

"Since what? Don't leave me hangin' here."

It took a few moments for Issei to speak, but it was in a nervous tone. "Ever since that fallen angel killed me. I really liked her, Tyson. I did. It was the first date I've ever been on, and I thought it was going really well...Guess I was wrong." he mumbled, choking back a sob.

The American sat up before clasping his junior's shoulder with his hand, shaking him slightly. "I'm not gonna say it's easy, Issei, because it's not. Life isn't supposed to be easy. Everyone is hiding a few secrets, so you can't trust everything someone says." he started. The younger boy was listening intently.

"You're going to get your heart broken, and that's just a sad fact of life. It happens whether you're a virgin or not, but what determines whether you're a man or a boy is whether you let your heart _stay_ broken. It's okay to be sad, and it's okay to cry sometimes, it's okay to get angry sometimes, because that's what makes us _human_...even though technically you're a devil now, I guess." he continued, and the two shared a small chuckle.

"It just felt so right, Tyson. She was beautiful, even when she was killing me I couldn't help but think she was beautiful. How am I supposed to just move on from that?"

Tyson laughed. "I'll admit, for a psychopath she was pretty hot." Issei's eyes snapped up in surprise to meet his. "But, no amount of oppai or hot girls are worth your life. Remember that."

"So...what should I do? How do I get girls to actually like me for who I am?" he whispered, tears building in his eyes. The older man shook the boy's shoulder.

"Stop thinking like that, kiddo. You shouldn't change yourself for other people, and that's a lesson I had to learn the hard way myself. You can try to impress someone or change your lifestyle or your mindset to fit theirs, but unless they really want you in their life, they won't truly appreciate what you're doing. You'll end up alone, hurt, and more lonely than ever before." the man finished his speech quietly, mumbling to himself.

Issei stared at him. "Is that what happened to you, Tyson?"

"Yeah...It hurts like a bitch, for sure."

"I'm...sorry."

"Don't worry about it, kiddo. You've got your harem to build, right? Who needs some crazy yandere girl in their harem?" he said, cracking a smile which Issei returned.

"Heh, yeah...you're right." he chuckled before realizing what the older man said. "Wait...you're okay with my dream of being the harem king!?" he exclaimed, still keeping his voice down but being louder than before.

Tyson released the boy's shoulder before turning to face him completely. "Of course, it's your dream isn't it?" he asked, and seeing the younger man's not, he continued. "But!" he put a finger up, "you need to be able to support and protect all of your women, you know? You need to have some kind of plan."

Issei cocked his head to the side. "A plan to support them? You mean like wanting them to succeed and stuff?" he asked, curiously.

"No you doofus, how are you supposed to pay for them all if you don't have a job or anything? Women aren't cheap you know. Just ask your dad, he'll probably tell you. Just make sure to do it when your mom isn't around, or she might beat the hell out of him for being honest."

They shared a small laugh before Issei looked down at his feet again, dangling from the bed. "A job...what kind of job would I even want?" he asked himself out loud.

Tyson sighed. "That's a question that even adults don't know the answer to. Staying in school gives you the most options in the end, but you have to look beyond the boring lessons to see how they're used in reality. You would think nobody uses math in their job, or history, but you'd be surprised. I thought the exact same way back in college. It took me over twenty years to learn that lesson."

Issei seemed to think on that for a moment, humming in thought. "So you mean I should try harder in school?"

"I think you should think about school when you're in school, and oppai and girls when you're at home. There's a time and place for everything." he said, and Issei gave him a deadpan expression.

"Was that a Poke-Man reference?" he asked, earning a chuckle from his senior.

"Heh, yeah. Don't forget, I'm allowed to have a childhood too you know."

"Alright old man. Just don't forget to take your pills when you're done remembering your glory days." Issei shot back, instantly with a smirk.

After a few moments of silence, the two of them burst into laughter. It took 20 seconds to calm themselves down, but Tyson eventually wiped a tear of laughter from his eye.

"Hey easy there. I might be older than you, but that doesn't make me old!" he said, stifling another bout of laughter.

"Hey Tyson?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you mind helping me learn how to 'be myself', like you said?" his tone made the atmosphere serious once again.

"Anytime, kid. Who knows how long I'll be here with you and your family, so we may as well get used to each other." the man said, flippantly. Issei looked down in nervousness before speaking.

"Then...Do you mind if I call you big brother whenever it's just the two of us?" he asked, hesitantly. Tyson was stunned, staring at the younger man in surprise. "You're just what I imagine an older brother to be, you know? You're a bit rough around the edges but you care when it matters. If that's weird, you don't have to-"

"Sure...little bro." he cut him off, placing his hand upon the boy's head and messing up his hair much to the younger male's embarrassment and frustration. However, the two of them couldn't help but smile.

Tyson had never had a little brother, and his older brother was always pretty detached from the family. Thus, they never got the chance to act like brothers do. Although it felt a bit weird, the American couldn't keep the smile off his face when he looked at the kid beside him. 'Maybe everything here won't be so bad after all...' he thought to himself.

The two of them had talked about the supernatural quiet enough where nobody could hear it, but as their conversation became more normal, they had spoken normally.

Neither of them knew that Issei's parents...no..._their_ parents were listening. They smiled at each other before retiring to their own room for the night.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey everyone! Here's another chapter for everyone to enjoy! I've been having a lot of fun writing this particular story, so I made a lot of time for it this past weekend. Hopefully it shows!**

"Hello" - Words

'Hello' - Thoughts

_Hello_ \- Emphasis

**Hello **\- Abilities/Magic spells

**["Hello"]** \- Heavenly Dragon voice

**['Hello'] **\- Heavenly Dragon thoughts

**Feel free to review!**

Tyson awoke with a start, panting heavily with a bit of sweat on his forehead. He had apparently thrown the blanket off of himself in his sleep, so now he was clothed only in a pair of athletic shorts. Taking a few deep breaths to calm himself, the man clutched his head in confusion and slight fear.

'What the hell was that dream!? It felt so real...' he thought to himself, eyes wide. He looked around the guest bedroom only to be greeted by the darkness of the early morning. The clock on the nightstand read 6:27am.

Tyson did his best not to dwell on his nightmare, but this particular dream was far too powerful for him to ignore.

_In his dream, Tyson was surrounded by hundreds of people. Some had wings, others were giants, some were dragons, but all of them shared one thing in common._

_For some reason, they were all his friends. Real ones who actually cared about him._

_The man had been so happy during this part of his dream. It had been the one thing he truly wanted throughout his life, since he had been deprived of those friendships. They all partied and enjoyed themselves to their heart's content, smiles all around._

_That's why he was so shocked when the dream burst into flames, literally and metaphorically._

_The small castle they had been in before was now rubble; a wasteland with the scars of battle. All of his friends were still surrounding him, and they were still all together, but there was one key difference:_

_They were all looking at him in anger and fear._

_His 'friends' held weapons in their hands as they stared at him, ready to attack at any moment. The people he had believed were on his side had allied against him, and he had no idea why. Suddenly, a massive roar echoed throughout the battlefield, causing most of the people to cover their ears._

_He realized that the roar had come from him as black flames burst out from him, blanketing the surrounding area in darkness. Some of his so-called 'friends' were powerful enough to defend themselves. Others, not so much._

_They screamed in agony as the flames cursed and burned their bodies. They were doomed, and everyone knew it. Some scrambled to save those who could recover, but others did their best to ignore the ones who had already perished._

_Another roar, this time much louder and more powerful. Tyson's vision shifted from its current perspective to one of a sort of floating camera before he was face to face with the true owner of the roar..._

_A massive, black, snake-like dragon with glowing red eyes and overflowing with hatred and evil._

Tyson shook his head to clear his thoughts. 'Man, what a weird nightmare. With all this magic crap happening, hopefully there's no such thing as seeing the future.'

Stretching with a long yawn, he rolled off the small bed before throwing on a t-shirt and going downstairs. 'Well I'm already awake, and I doubt I'll get any sleep now. May as well get a cup of tea or coffee to wake up for good.'

Shuffling downstairs, he was met by none other than Gorou Hyoudou, who sat at the kitchen table with a mug of dark coffee and the local newspaper. The man noticed his approach, set down his beverage and smiled.

"Ah, good morning Tyson. I hope you slept well." he said, taking the time to lower his newspaper. The younger man's eyes drooped slightly as he sat down beside his surrogate father.

"Good morning..." he mumbled, slouching forward in his seat as he tried to wake up. The older man chuckled.

"There's some extra coffee left in the pot. Help yourself." he said, pointing toward the coffee machine on the counter beside the sink. Tyson nodded, stood up, and ambled his way toward the machine before pouring himself a mug. He didn't waste a second before forcing nearly half of his new beverage down his throat, ignoring the burn and bitter taste.

"Woah there, don't get too crazy now kiddo. It might be a Tuesday, but there's no need to rush yourself. Remember, there's no rush to find a new place to live. You'll be treated like family here." Gorou said, smiling in his direction. Tyson couldn't help but return the honest gesture.

"Again, I appreciate your hospitality more than you know. I guess I'm just used to living on my own, so it's a bit strange to live with anyone again let alone people as friendly as you and your family." the American responded, sitting back down at the kitchen table. Gorou shook his head before an amicable silence fell on the duo.

After a few minutes with the only sound being the occasional sip of coffee, Gorou spoke quietly. "I heard some of your talk with Issei last night..." he admitted, grabbing the young man's attention.

"I hope you don't think less of me for accepting his little 'harem king' dream." Tyson half-joked. In reality, he was hoping that the man heard nothing in regard to the fallen angel or supernatural world.

His attempt to steer the conversation away from that particular topic was successful. Gorou chuckled softly. "It's a bit ridiculous isn't it? I used to think it was a little adorable until it turned into this obsession of his. Now it only seems to get in the way of his future."

It was Tyson's turn to chuckle. "He's a lot more vulnerable than he makes himself seem, that's for sure. Underneath that confident, perverted front he puts up is a kid that just wants to be accepted for who he is." the American said, putting his mug down on the table.

Gorou hummed in agreement. "His only friend moved away when he was just a kid, and it devastated the poor boy. He's had trouble connecting with people ever since, aside from those two friends of his that share their immature obsession. All they do is scream about porn all day, even in school. The calls from the principal have gotten so common that I ignore them."

Tyson quirked an eyebrow at that. "There's more that have the same problem? What is happening to kids these days?" he mumbled. Gorou laughed heartily at that. "You're one to talk, Tyson! You're practically a kid yourself, compared to this old man."

They shared a laugh. "Hah, maybe. But at least I'm not getting wrinkles yet." he shot back. The older man couldn't hold in his laughter, even if it was early in the morning.

"You're a good guy, Tyson. Issei really could use an older brother figure like you in his life, you know." he mentioned, tone suddenly serious. The younger man hummed in thought for a moment.

"I'd like to think I'd be a good influence on him, but I've got a lot on my plate to deal with too. He's got a good head on his shoulders. Now, all he needs to do is try a bit harder and he'll get wherever he wants to go."

The two men smiled. "Take care of my boy, Tyson. He might be energetic and perverted, but he's still my son. He'll listen to you more than he'll listen to me."

"Part of being a dad, I guess..." the American trailed off, a somber expression on his face. Gorou noticed, but chose not to say anything out of respect for his privacy.

"Anyway, what's your plan for today?" the man asked, changing topics. Tyson was more than happy to oblige.

"Look for a job, still. As great as you and your family are, it would feel wrong for me to take up space in your home for too long. Once I can get some steady income for a month or so, I could probably afford to rent an apartment in the area." he said, mind scrambling for some kind of low-training position he could find within a week or two.

"I noticed you picked up some clothes with Issei yesterday. Did you remember to buy a suit?"

"No. None of the stores in the mall had any tailors to fit a suit for me. I had to sell my last one back before I became homeless for a few days. I'm starting to wish I hadn't." he responded. Gorou looked the young man up and down for a moment.

"I may have an old suit somewhere in the closet that should fit somewhere around your size, actually. It's a bit of an old style, but it should work for interviews." the man added. Tyson's eyes lit up slightly.

"Th-that isn't necessary! I don't want to take your clothes!"

"Don't worry about it, kiddo! I don't wear it anymore. Besides, walking into a business with a suit on is much better for getting a job offer. I'm sure you know that." the man finished before standing and walking upstairs.

He returned after a few minutes with a dark grey suit, pants, and black shoes. As he had mentioned, the fabric was heavy and outdated, but it would work.

"Go on then. Put it on and get out there! I can tell you're itching to find the right job, and we both know that an early start is the best bet." he said, smiling. Tyson couldn't help but return the gesture, grabbing the suit from the older man's hands and making his way upstairs to change.

Within an hour, Tyson had changed into the suit and was in the more wealthy part of Kuoh. Now that he had a suit, he could walk into office buildings and other businesses without being laughed out the door.

After a few failed attempts, the man stopped inside a cafe to grab a quick snack. It was nearing 11am, but he refused to let his most recent failures drag his mood down. While sitting in the cafe, he took a peek outside the nearby window and saw what appeared to be a small office. Not a single customer or employee had entered or exited the establishment since his arrival nearly 30 minutes ago, and it piqued his curiosity.

'I wonder what that place even is. It's too small to be a corporate office, but too big to be a restaurant or something.' he wondered, finishing up his soup and walking out the door. He approached the unusual business before looking up at the sign.

"Fallen Inc..." he whispered to himself, an image of a certain two-tone haired man appearing in his head. He shook his head to get the infuriating man out of his mind. 'They wouldn't have an office out here in the middle of the human world though...would they?' he wondered.

Deciding to sate his curiosity, Tyson entered and was greeted by a very basic receptionist's desk. A young woman sat behind the counter, typing on her computer. As he approached her, she looked up at him before pressing her falling glasses higher up her nose. To her left and right were identical elevators.

"Welcome! Is there something I can help you with?" she asked with a beautiful smile on her face. In fact, Tyson found it difficult to notice anything _not_ beautiful about her. From what he could see over the desk, she had an amazing figure, a perfect face, and her voice alone was enough to make his heart beat quicker. That coupled with her disarming smile made him blush ever so slightly.

"Uh, yeah. I was hoping I could speak to your boss about a job. I'm looking for work, and this place caught my eye, so to speak." he managed to say, reeling in his mind which wanted him to say 'You must have been what I saw' out of sheer willpower.

She tilted her head slightly to the side before looking at something on her screen. "Do you have an appointment with Mr. Azazel?" she asked, causing the man's eyes to widen like saucers. She noticed his expression and narrowed her eyes slightly.

Tyson fought the urge to facepalm. "Would this 'Azazel' happen to have black hair with blond bangs, a terribly carefree attitude, and a habit of researching strange things?" he asked, cautiously. The woman's eyes widened and she tensed.

"You...you know who he is?" she asked, attention completely on the man in front of her. "Very few people see him since he rarely leaves his office."

Tyson sighed. "Yeah, I've had the _good fortune_ of meeting the leader of your faction." he said, prompting her to sweat slightly. "Don't worry, I'm not here to cause any trouble for you guys. I'm literally just looking for a real job so I can afford my own place here."

The woman regained her composure and coughed lightly into her fist. "W-well, I'm sure Azazel-sama could have some kind of work for you, if you're interested. Are you...?" she trailed off, unsure of how to ask her question despite nobody else being in the general vicinity.

"A human 'blessed by God'?" he used air quotes to accentuate his sarcasm. "Yeah, that's me. Azazel stalked me and a friend of mine yesterday to the mall. I wouldn't mind talking to him a bit more, even if it's just about a position." The brunette beauty thought to herself for a moment before smiling at him brightly.

"Then please use the elevator on my left," she pointed to it, "that will lead you to our headquarters: Grigori. Please mind your footing since the elevator is really just a teleportation circle." she said, giggling slightly as she recalled the last person to enter for the first time who fell flat on his face upon entering the headquarters. "I'll make sure to let him know you're coming, Mr...?" she trailed off, meaningfully.

"Tyson Solomon. He'll remember me, I'm sure. And thanks for the warning, I'll keep it in mind." he bowed slightly before making his way to the elevator. He could immediately hear the woman speaking behind him, and unless the person on the other end of the line had answered the phone instantly she had used some kind of communication magic.

"Azazel-sama, do you know a man named Tyson?...Yes, he's here to talk to you about a job of some kind...Of course, Azazel-sama." she finished as Tyson entered the elevator and pressed the solitary button inside. Moment's later, the weightless feeling of teleportation took over his body with a bright flash.

His vision returned and he was greeted with a hallway filled with busy people. The entire place seemed like an airport, but without the windows. All in all, the spotless appearance of the walls and the mirror-like shine of the tile flooring gave off an unusual vibe.

Tyson took a closer look at the people passing him by. Most of them wore lab coats or business suits and carried tablets or notepads filled with information. Some of them were speaking through magical circles that floated next to their ears, and others were writing more in their notebooks as they walked. Everyone was busy doing something, and it made the human feel a little out of place.

It didn't take long for people to take notice of his appearance, as well as the distinct _lack_ of supernatural aura. However, they merely stared for a moment before shrugging and going about their business. After a few seconds of uncertainty, another young woman, no less beautiful than the receptionist, approached him.

She wore a lab coat and had her hair tied in a neat bun. Her demeanor was focused and she walked with purpose. "Excuse me, would you happen to be Tyson Solomon?" she asked, earning a nod from the man. "Follow me. Azazel-sama wishes to speak with you in his office."

She turned and began walking the other direction without warning, obviously expecting him to follow and match her brisk pace. "So this is Grigori, huh?" Tyson asked, trying to break a bit of the tension. The woman did not respond, only causing the man to feel more awkward than before.

After several minutes of walking, they arrived at a large, mahogany door. She stood beside the door and bowed to him. "Azazel-sama is an extremely powerful figure in our world. Do well to remember that." she said before walking away. Tyson raised an eyebrow at the warning/threat, and knocked on the large door.

"Enter." came a voice from inside.

Tyson entered before sitting down in the chair in front of the large desk. He took a quick look around the room and saw extravagant paintings and ancient artwork on the walls, as well as a few gaudy artifacts. The chair in front of him spun around before the human was face to face with the Governor of the Fallen Angels once again.

"Yo, didn't think we'd be seeing each other so soon, eh?" came the flippant introduction. Tyson sweatdropped at the casual attitude. 'Can't this guy take anything seriously?' he wondered.

"I'll admit, when I walked into this place I wasn't expecting to see your face again. What kind of name is 'Fallen Inc.' anyway? Not very creative or subtle." the man quipped, crossing his arms. Azazel merely laughed out loud.

"Hey, most people can't even see the place considering the barrier we put up around it. Humans literally ignore it as if it isn't there, so there's no reason to waste the effort in coming up with a name." the fallen angel stated, leaning back in his chair.

"Fair enough..." the human admitted, taking the time to evaluate the Governor's state of dress. He wore sweatpants and a hoodie; the perfect picture of casual if there was one.

"So you found us huh? How'd you manage that one?"

"I literally walked in through the front door..."

"Seriously? Man, I really gotta up my security in this place." he scratched the back of his head and chuckled. Tyson found it hard to join in his carefree attitude, sweatdropping. After all, if you had super important business and didn't want anyone to find out about it, the last thing you'd want is for someone to randomly stumble upon it by accident.

"Anyway, you said you came about a job or something right?" Azazel asked, earning a nod from his guest. He stroked his chin as if he was thinking, but the smile on his face showed that he had already thought it through enough. "I think I can find something for you to do. The pay's pretty nice, it's close to your home, and there's only a small chance that you die every day!" he exclaimed, arms wide.

Upon seeing Tyson's deadpan expression, he continued. "Plus we have really hot women everywhere, and benefits! We even have dental!"

The American held his expression for a few moments to see if he could make the man sweat in nervousness, but gave up after seeing absolutely no changes. "Alright fine, what do you have in mind? As long as it doesn't involve anything horribly painful I'll probably accept it."

The Governor smirked, resting his hands behind his head and kicking his feet up onto the table. "I knew you'd see things my way, so here's a bit of context first. I'm sure you've noticed this, but Grigori is more than just a headquarters for the fallen angels. It's a massive research facility dedicated to all kinds of subjects."

Tyson scratched his head. "I figured as much from everyone with lab coats on; they all seem like the bookworm type. To be honest, it was pretty unexpected." Azazel chuckled before removing his feet from the desk and leaning forward.

"Not everyone in the supernatural world fights on a battlefield, you know. There are average people even among the fallen angels and devils who just want to live their lives how they want to. I can't say as much for the angels though, they've still got to keep up with God's rules and all that." he explained, before continuing.

"I could hire you to help me with some research. I told you yesterday that there was only so much information we could gather on your Sacred Gear without a wielder, so this is a perfect opportunity to fix that. All I'd need you to do is show up every weekday ready to do basically whatever we tell you."

Tyson sweatdropped yet again. "I don't know if I like the sound of that last part..."

Azazel just laughed at him. "Haha, no worries kid! We can't even start doing research until you can _use _your Sacred Gear, so the first day or two will be dedicated to giving you enough control to summon it at will and use its power. After that, we'll probably just do a bunch of training exercises and see how both you, your power, and your body develop."

"What do you mean by my body developing? If you haven't noticed, I'm about as developed as I'm gonna get." he waved his hand down his body, showcasing it.

"Sacred Gears, especially ones related to dragons, affect the bodies of their hosts. Usually, it just results in extra strength, endurance, speed, and reaction time after a while. There's always an exception or two, though. That's something I've learned over the years working with them." the Governor clarified.

Tyson closed his eyes in thought for a few seconds, then opened them to send a small glare at the stronger man. "What do we do about Gremory and the devils?" he asked. "If I tell them I'm working with you daily, she'll probably lose her shit and accuse me of treason or something. That girl is hiding some serious amount of crazy."

Azazel laughed again. "Yeah she is. If you think she's emotional, wait until you meet her brother. The solution is simple though: just don't tell her! What you do is your business, not hers or anyone else's." he said, standing up and pacing slightly.

Tyson sighed. "Guess you've got a point. Gotta keep this a secret from Issei though, he's weak and will tell her anything if she flashes a bit of skin at him." Azazel chuckled.

"That kid is like me in my younger days, but with less of a brain. Can't really blame him though. Have you _seen_ the jugs on that girl?" he asked, not really aiming for an answer.

The young man pinched the bridge of his nose and growled slightly. "What is _with_ everyone here in Japan!? I'm not into teenage girls! This wasn't a thing back in America!"

Azazel chuckled. "You know how some people say 'age is just a number'? In the supernatural world it's taken a bit more literally. Angels, fallen, and devils only age until they're a young adult like yourself, then they pretty much stop aging for a couple hundred years." he explained, earning a shocked look from his guest.

"Just how old are you?..." Tyson asked with an eyebrow raised.

Azazel scratched his chin in thought. "Ehh somewhere around the 3000 year mark, last I checked. You lose track after the first three hundred, trust me."

"Yeah...I guess I'll take your word for it." he mumbled.

"Regardless," Azazel continued, "you want the job or nah?" he reached his hand out for a handshake, to which Tyson stood and accepted.

"Sure, I guess this is what they'd call fate or something. A win-win situation for both of us seems like it would be pretty rare." the human said, finalizing their agreement.

The Governor shook his head. "Fate is what you make it, my new friend. Now, as a sort of 'signing bonus', let's get you up to speed on summoning your Gear, shall we?" he motioned for the young man to follow as he left his office.

Tyson began to follow slightly behind the taller man. Tyson himself stood at a solid 6 feet tall, slightly above average for most men his age. However, Azazel still had several inches on him. As they walked through the hallways of Grigori, people would give him a friendly wave or a relaxed salute as they passed.

"You're the boss around here, aren't you? Everyone seems so tense until you're around." Tyson decided to ask. Azazel quirked an eyebrow at the observation, but continued walking.

"Yeah I'm technically the leader of the fallen angels, but I'm not a fan of bossing people around much. I'd rather leave that to other people and stay in my lab with a bunch of Sacred Gears all day and night."

Tyson made a face of recognition. Shortly after, they arrived at what appeared to be a training room, of sorts. A few target dummies stood against a single wall while another section had dummies moving back and forth at varying speeds. The ones all the way in the back moved so quickly that Tyson could only see a blur.

Azazel brought him in before standing off to the side, where an area with a variety of screens and computers were separated from the remainder of the room by a glass wall. He told the young man to stand in the center of the room.

"Alright, now we're going to see if we can awaken your Sacred Gear at will. This will be the easiest part, but don't get discouraged if it doesn't work the first time. Once you get the feel for it, it'll come naturally." Azazel said, bringing up some data in front of him before crossing his arms.

"Okay...so what do I need to do? You mentioned something about imagining something powerful, right?" Tyson asked, doing a few stretches.

The Governor nodded. "Yeah. Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, and focus your thoughts on your inner strength. Normally, it's depicted as a specific thing in your mind that represents the power within you." Tyson's thoughts drifted to the nightmare he had the night before, and he shook his head to clear his mind.

"Alright, here I go." he said before doing as he was told. He found that it was much more difficult to truly focus than he expected, but once he relaxed he managed to crawl into the deeper parts of his mind.

After several deep breaths, he recalled the terrifying power of the beast in his dream. The power to strike fear into hundreds if not thousands was terrifying in and of itself. The snake-like creature and its glowing red eyes could only be something evil, if it had turned so many happy people against it so quickly.

He focused on the appearance of the monster, specifically its eyes. Those bright, red eyes that seemed to scream at the very fibre of his being with _something_ he couldn't recognize. It was like a static image of the dragon that he could evaluate from all angles. He mentally floated around the thing's form, taking in the small details and the large ones.

Suddenly, the still image shifted slightly before the beast came to life in his own mind, roaring directly at him with a crushing strength. Tyson's eyes snapped open as his right hand burst into black flames.

"Ah! Holy shit, holy shit! My hand's on fire!" he yelled, clutching his arm with his other hand to numb the pain. 'Dear _God_ this hurts! It's like the fire is tearing my arm apart!' he thought, frantically.

Azazel took the time to speak. "Calm down kid! You're doing great in there! Don't be afraid of it, it's your power isn't it?" he reassured the young man, whose eyes widened a bit.

'That's right...this is my power now. This is _my_ Sacred Gear, nobody else's!' he thought, gaining confidence. 'I can control this power, and I won't let some stupid dragon tell me what to do!' he yelled mentally.

He clutched his arm tighter as he began to let out a roar that quickly gained volume. The flames surged from his hand and swirled around his form frantically until they formed a bubble around him. The black flames blocked every trace of light, and Tyson could see nothing but pitch black.

He realized that his eyes were closed, and he opened them only to see the one thing he had quickly grown to fear.

In a world of darkness, the beast from his nightmare lay coiled up in itself like a snake. Tyson, reigning in both his shock and his fear, noticed that the creature was asleep.

Or at least, he assumed based on the snores coming from its massive jaws.

The monstrosity's eyes were closed, so the red eyes that Tyson had grown to be wary of were nowhere to be seen.

"-id! Kid! Can you hear me!?" a frantic voice called in the distance. It felt so far away, but so familiar at the same time that Tyson couldn't help but be curious.

"Tyson!"

The man in question bolted upright, opening his eyes and realizing that he was laying down on the floor of the training room. Azazel was kneeling beside him with a concerned look on his face.

"A-Azazel?...What happened?" Tyson managed to ask, his mouth now so dry that he found it difficult to speak. He tried to stand, but his muscles ached in protest. The Governor let out a sigh of relief.

"You almost lost control of your Sacred Gear, but it looks like you managed to keep it under control. Take a look." he said, pointing down at the boy's right hand which was enclosed in a dark gauntlet.

"I...did it." Tyson mumbled to himself in awe. He was still a bit shaken up from his little hallucination, so his excitement was much more subdued than it normally would have been. Azazel chuckled.

"Come on kiddo! You just summoned a Sacred Gear on your own for the first time! Be more excited!" he exclaimed, but his expression fell as he noticed the human's less-than-happy demeanor. "Did something else happen?" he asked.

It took a few more deep breaths and a few moments for Tyson to respond. "I saw...something. It looked like a snake. It was massive, had dark scales, bright red eyes, and everything about it made my legs scream at me to run away."

Azazel hummed in thought. "Seems like you just had an encounter with Vritra, the dragon king sealed within your Gear. Did he talk to you?"

"No, it seemed like it was asleep or something."

"That's probably for the best. Vritra wasn't known as an 'evil dragon' for nothing, so his reaction to being not only sealed but split into four parts probably won't be pretty." Azazel mused, earning a confused look from Tyson.

"The way you worded that makes it seem like Vritra has never been awakened ever since he was sealed." he pointed out, making Azazel nod.

"Noticed that, did you? You're right. Vritra has never once been awakened since his sealing along with the Heavenly Dragons. I remember clearly how much power he had in his prime, and if the piece of his soul that's inside of you has even a fraction of that, he could even give me a good workout in a fight." the man said, crossing his arms as the younger man stood shakily.

"Alright then. Take a quick breather and I'll get you some water since you look like you need it. Since that only took us a few minutes, which by the way, I'm very proud of you for accomplishing so quickly, we'll move on to actually summoning the power of the Blaze Black Flare. It'll just be small stuff like creating the flame and making it bigger and smaller, but control will be the key especially with your Gear in particular." he said as he walked off to a nearby fridge, picking up a bottle of water and a beer before returning.

Tyson looked at him and grabbed the beer out of the man's hand before flicking the cap off with his newly-armored finger and gulping the whole thing down in seconds. Azazel looked at him with an amused expression before laughing. "One of the longinus, reduced to a bottle opener! Now I've definitely seen everything!"

Letting out a small burp, Tyson set the bottle down beside him. Azazel picked it up before giving it a basketball throw into the garbage can on the other end of the room. It landed perfectly, and the man gave a small fist bump celebration for himself while Tyson smiled slightly.

After a few minutes of rest, Tyson stood up before taking another look at his Gear. 'Crazy how this thing holds such a powerful being, a dragon no less. And it's apparently an evil one, so I don't think I really want to meet him too badly.' he thought to himself.

He was brought out of his thoughts by Azazel clapping his hands together; the sound echoed in the large room. "Okay! Now that you've got the Sacred Gear summoned, let's work on producing a flame. This part is gonna take a bit of your imagination and a bit of flexibility, since you're not exactly used to using auras and power and stuff." the man said, holding his hand palm-up.

"Now, what I'm going to do first is demonstrate so you have something to work with. It won't be exactly the same, since I'll be using light rather than flames. Light is something angels and fallen can use, and it can take physical form if you want it to. It's based on faith, either in God or in something else." he continued, causing a small ball of purple light to appear over his palm. It floated there harmlessly, but even Tyson could feel the power surging from it.

"In your case, you'll need to dig deep down and essentially _demand_ that your body produce the energy required. Since you're using dragon energy, which is the purest form of energy, you have to bend it to your will or it'll do whatever it wants. Go ahead and try, and see if you can feel it." he said, dismissing the ball of light and crossing his arms.

Tyson nodded before holding his palm up in the same manner as Azazel had. He narrowed his eyes and glared at the center of his palm, imagining it holding the same black flame that had enveloped him earlier. He could feel a tiny bit of _something_ scratching at the surface, trying to escape. It was a difficult sensation to describe, but it was like holding a ton of bumblebees in a glass jar and watching them slam themselves against the side to break free.

Suddenly, it happened.

Tyson imagined flexing his arm but not with his muscles, as if there was a hidden muscle somewhere else to use instead. A small black flame appeared over his hand and floated there. It was a peaceful flame, if there ever was one. It didn't surge randomly or sway quickly, and it didn't necessarily appear to be very hot if the lack of heat on his arm was any indication.

"Nice one, Tyson! You seem to be a bit of a natural at this! We'll be working some tests tomorrow as well to strengthen that flame, so don't worry if it seems a bit puny in its current state. No Sacred Gear user is born knowing exactly how to use their Gear." Azazel commented, before continuing.

"Now, try to give it a bit more power. Hang on to that feeling you had when you first produced the flame, and try to make the flame a little bigger. Keep it under control, but try to make it as big as you can, slowly."

Tyson nodded again, staring intently at the small flame before flexing his imaginary 'magic muscle' once again. The flame grew in size slightly, and after seeing his success, Tyson couldn't help the smile on his face. He got so excited that he attempted to make it even larger.

And larger.

And even larger than that.

Soon, the flame was about the size of a human head. It still kept a calm flicker, but Tyson could feel a bit of the heat wafting from the large ball of black flames. He tried one more time to make it _just_ a little bigger, but he found that he was getting exhausted. He powered through and tried anyway, causing the ball of fire to flicker angrily before shrinking in size until it vanished completely.

Looking at the panting man in surprise, Azazel clapped. "That wasn't bad for your first try! Just be careful not to overdo it or you'll burn out, literally and figuratively." he laughed at his joke, but Tyson could only chuckle since he was breathing so hard. "Anyway, while we take another break, let me ask you something."

Tyson sat down on the floor before looking up at the blond-banged man. "Yeah? Ask away."

"Tell me a bit about yourself, Tyson. I'll be honest with you, you _shouldn't_ have that Sacred Gear." Azazel said in a serious tone. His tone surprised Tyson just as much as what he said.

"Wait, what do you mean I _shouldn't_ have it?"

Azazel sat down next to him. "I'll give a bit of context. As I mentioned yesterday, Sacred Gears are powerful relics created by God and gifted to special humans so they can protect themselves from the supernatural. The thing is, they're given at birth and wait until someone is strong enough to summon it on their own. Some people go their entire lives without unlocking their true potential."

"So...I was born with this thing inside me somewhere?" Tyson asked, tone somber as he imagined having an evil dragon within him his entire life.

Azazel shook his head. "Here's where the problem is. Up until a few days ago, the Blaze Black Flare _didn't have a host._ It was sitting in my lab on a desk." he said, earning a shocked look from Tyson.

"Wait, you mean I got this thing only a few days ago?" Azazel nodded as his question.

"Yeah. Whatever happened a few days ago caused some kind of earthquake to affect even here, and we're in part of the Underworld; that's Hell, by the way. It's not all fire and suffering like you humans think it is. At the same time, that Sacred Gear disappeared as if it had found a new wielder."

Tyson was quiet for a moment as he thought of everything that had happened in the past week. "And that host was me, huh..." he mumbled. Azazel hummed in acknowledgement.

The American decided to be completely honest for once, since the fallen angel Governor hadn't deceived him as far as he could tell. "I'll level with you, Azazel, I appeared here in Japan a few days ago." he said, and the Governor raised an eyebrow.

Already having gotten used to that particular question, Tyson continued. "I was in Los Angeles, California, in my home. The power to the entire city went out for a bit and I got locked outside. When the power came back, I went back inside but my bed was gone and there was some gigantic hole instead."

"It looked like it went on forever, but there was a tiny light at the end. Basically, I passed out, fell in, and appeared here in Kuoh. Based on what Rias told me, it's possible that some kind of magic circle was down there and brought me here." he finished. Azazel's expression was one of deep thought.

"Hmm, so you're saying you were teleported here to Japan from America?" Azazel received a nod. "If so, then that means..." he trailed off, hand on his chin in thought.

He began to mumble things to himself such as "Third party?...maybe but not enough evidence, problem with the System?...possible, but I can't ask Michael..." he continued. "...That may explain the earthquake though..."

Tyson sighed. "Well anyway, the thing that matters is that I've got a place to sleep, money to eat, and people who have my back. All this conspiracy stuff isn't really my problem." he said, putting his hand to his neck and rolling it to relieve the tension.

Azazel smiled. "It might not be your problem, but it certainly involves you. Just make sure you're ready if things start to heat up. That means triple the training tomorrow, got it? Oh, and wear clothes to exercise in. We have to do a physical examination to have a benchmark to see your progress." he said, snapping his fingers.

"I'll teleport you back near the kid's house. You're lucky you controlled the flame so well, or that suit of yours would have been ruined." he chuckled, and Tyson blushed in embarrassment. He had completely forgotten that he was wearing one of Gorou's suits, and would have felt awful if he had ruined it.

"Thanks...Azazel. You've been a big help."

"Don't mention it kid. I get something out of this too, remember?" Azazel smiled as he created a black summon circle beneath Tyson's feet. It quickly enveloped him in a bright light before the young man found himself standing outside of Issei's house.

He entered before removing his shoes. "I'm home!" he called, smiling. "Welcome home!" was the answer from everyone in the building.

Tyson explained to the family how he had managed to find a job as a researcher, and both Gorou and Miki failed to hold in their excitement as they hugged their surrogate son. He had been conflicted for a moment, recalling his actual birth parents, before hugging them tightly.

Issei had showed up late that night, so the celebration of Tyson's new job in Japan was held only shared by the humans involved. Tyson was concerned, but he refused to mention it and possibly make Issei's parents worry.

He woke up the next day with a jolt. His body normally took a short while to wake up early in the mornings, but today he had absolutely no problem rolling out of bed. After showering and putting on workout shorts and a tank top, Tyson went down the stairs to make himself a light breakfast.

Gorou had questioned why he was wearing something so casual for a research job, but when Tyson had mentioned that their lab coats and uniforms had to be specially cleaned daily, the man accepted it without much of a hassle.

He walked his way to Fallen Inc. before entering. The same woman from the day before greeted him with a tired smile and a mug of coffee. "Ah, Mr. Solomon? Is there something I can do for you this morning?" she asked, eyes visibly tired but her face and hair looking immaculate as always.

He couldn't push down his embarrassment as he scratched the back of his head and blushed. "I, uhh...can't make teleportation circles on my own yet, so I'll have to do things the human way and walk here until I can." he admitted. The woman giggled at him adorably, and the sound only made his blush darken.

"Don't be embarrassed! You're only human, after all. You can't be expected to do everything our way in such a short time." she said, to his relief. At least someone believed in taking things slowly.

Minutes later, Tyson met up with Azazel as well as a few other researchers in what appeared to be a large gym. Weights, treadmills, and the like were placed all around the space. One of the researchers approached him while holding a bunch of small circles with wires on them. She blushed slightly as she spoke.

"P-please take your shirt off so we can put these electrodes on you. They're to help us monitor your heart rate, and such." she requested, handing them to him before he did as he was told. The other researchers kept their composure much better than she did, and merely busied themselves with setting up the necessary equipment for their testing.

The entirety of the tests took only two hours, and during that time Tyson was told to go through sprints, heavy weightlifting, and intense fighting exercises against immobile dummies. The whole time, the researchers scribbled down data and observations about his performance. The man was used to working out with people watching, so it wasn't as embarrassing as one might have expected. According to their calculations and estimates, Tyson was considered 'a distinctly exceptional example of a human male', whatever that entailed.

It was nearing the afternoon, so Tyson grabbed a quick lunch before meeting his boss in the same training room as yesterday. With all the sweating he had done during his examinations, the man had pulled his hair into a tight ponytail using a scrunchy that was handed to him by the embarrassed researcher from before.

The Governor joined him in the training grounds. "Alright. Now that we've gotten the base examinations over with, we can move onto a bit of what I like to call 'practical training'." the man said, using air quotations. Tyson raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

"Today, we're going to get an idea of how well you can fight an actual opponent. After all, it doesn't matter how powerful you are if you have no fighting instincts. Come on in Raynare!" he called out.

A familiar woman with black hair, black wings, and a bondage outfit entered the room, and Tyson couldn't help the frown that appeared on his face.

"I'm here as you ordered, Azazel-sama." she spoke. Her voice was a bit deeper and more mature than it had been when they had met for the first time. She took notice of the human in front of her before snarling.

"Azazel-sama, what is _he_ doing here?" she demanded, crossing her arms under her large bust. Her boss ignored the animosity between the two completely.

"He's a new trainee, actually. You're here to help with his practical training by being his sparring partner for the next few hours." he said in response. She scoffed at him.

"He's a weak little human. He can't possibly hope to match a fallen angel in combat, especially if he has no combat experience." she said, walking up to the two of them. Tyson reigned in his anger a bit, settling for a glare instead.

"You may be right, but you're also _very_ wrong, Raynare. He may be a human and he may be weak now, but I plan to make him strong enough to make a difference in the supernatural world. He deserves that much, at least." her boss stated. Tyson decided to step forward with a determined look in his eyes.

"So, I'm supposed to fight her and try to win, right? Any other rules I should know about?" he asked, fists clenched. Azazel shook his head.

"None. Do whatever you can to defeat her. Raynare, try not to kill the kid alright? He's a quick learner, so I think he'll give you a decent fight after a few hours." the Governor said, earning a shocked look from his fellow fallen.

She stared, mouth open in surprise. 'He's learning quickly enough to match me in battle within mere hours? Impossible!' she thought before growling to herself. 'Azazel-sama is just messing with me! This kid couldn't hurt me if I let him!'

Meanwhile, Tyson did a few small stretches before summoning the Blaze Black Flare. A dark flame settle around his hand, flickering agitatedly as its wielder's emotions drew out some of its latent energy. Raynare prepared herself before getting into her fighting stance and creating a spear of red light.

"You sure you're ready for this, puny human? Don't blame me if I kill you like I killed the kid last week!" she taunted. However, his attention was focused solely on her subtle movements rather than her words. He knew she would go for some kind of fast attack right off the bat, something in his gut told him so.

He tensed his legs in preparation before leaping to the side as the spear embedded itself right where he had been standing an instant earlier. She smirked at him. "You actually dodged that? Not too bad, for a human. You must have pretty good instincts or ridiculously quick reactions." she complimented.

He snorted slightly before retaking his stance. His left side was forward with his left arm bent in front of him and his right arm was held at his side at the ready. His focused expression and furrowed brow told her how serious he was taking this fight.

"Alright, fine. If you want to be so serious, I guess I should be too." she said, before closing the distance and striking out with her spear. It grazed his shoulder, drawing a thin line of blood. However, he used this opportunity to grab the spear with his bare hand.

'What!? He grabbed it!?' Raynare thought, frantically. Tyson's armored fist soon found its way into the side of her face, knocking her back but not causing her to fall. She snarled at him. "How dare you! And how the hell did you grab pure light anyway!?" she asked, watching him flex the fingers of his uncovered left hand as small burns could be seen on his palm. He ignored the burning sensation and kept his attention on the woman in front of him.

"That one was for my little brother." he stated, plainly. Both she and Azazel raised an eyebrow at that, but chose not to ask about it. Raynare rubbed her cheek before resuming her attack on the human.

The fight lasted nearly half an hour before Raynare had pinned the human using two light spears held at his throat. He got pressed onto his back while her knees pinned his arms to the ground.

Both panting heavily, but Tyson much more so than Raynare, he let his head hit the ground beneath him. "Alright, *huff* I give." he admitted defeat. However, she remained atop his prone form and he decided to tease the woman a bit despite his better judgment.

"Feel free to get off whenever you like, I'm just enjoying the view." he smirked. Raynare snarled at him before stabbing her two light spears into the ground beside his head. His eyes shot open, but he noticed that Raynare couldn't hide her slight blush as she lifted herself off of him.

Azazel took his time to walk out from the protected area while clapping. "Not bad, Tyson! You lasted a lot longer than I expected on your first time! You sure you don't have any fighting experience?" he joked, and Tyson let out a short laugh.

"Hah, maybe a few. The streets of Los Angeles aren't too friendly if you go to the wrong areas. Nothing could have prepared me to fight someone who can fly and move faster than I can see, though." he admitted, earning a shocked look from his bystanders.

"Hold up," Raynare started, eyes wide. "You mean to tell me you couldn't see half of what I was doing during that fight?" she asked, arms crossed. He shook his head, continuing to lay on the ground.

"Nah, for the most part I couldn't really see you once you got moving. I'm still a human, so my senses probably aren't as quick as yours."

"Then how the hell did you survive a fight with me for half an hour?" she asked him.

"I guessed, what did you think I was doing?" he asked back, causing Azazel and Raynare to share a look. The man shrugged, and the woman sighed.

"You mean to tell me that you were _guessing_ what I was going to do that entire time?" she asked, earning a nod. "I call bullshit."

"Well, I _might_ have been watching your legs and arms tense up right before you started moving and predicting where you'd move from there. After that, all I had to do was force my body to move fast enough to not get stabbed." he said, groaning as he sat up on the ground. Azazel scratched his chin in thought.

"Interesting...that's something most even high level fighters struggle to do and you're able to do it naturally. You've got talent, kid. Just need to get you used to fighting and you'll be just fine out here in the supernatural world." the man said, handing the two of them a bottle of water to drink. They both swiped them from his hands and gulped them down greedily.

"Alrighty then, ten minutes and you guys have another round. Rest up until then." Azazel said, walking back to the protected area to check on the data he and the other researchers had gathered.

Raynare took the time to sit down across from her opponent to catch her breath. "For a human, that wasn't bad. I'll admit, I thought you'd be a pushover. Color me surprised when I had to actually try to beat you." she admitted, leaning backward on her hands. Tyson couldn't help but stare at her wings in wonder.

She caught his gaze and narrowed her eyes at him. "What?"

He shook his head as he realized he had been staring. "S-sorry. I'm still getting used to people having wings and all that. Yours are actually the first that I've seen up close, and I was wondering what it was like to have them." he responded.

She gave him a bored expression. "I've never _not_ had them, so I guess I can't relate. They're basically just there for decoration though. We can show or hide them anytime we want, and they're not necessarily connected to our powers at all except flight. They act as a sort of medium for our magic to allow us to fly in the air, so we don't need to flap them like birds do." she explained, and Tyson's curious expression could almost be considered cute.

"Do you...mind if I touch them for a second?" he asked, sheepishly. He had a feeling it was probably rude to touch someone's wings, so he wanted to do everything he could _not_ to piss off the woman he'd be sparring with for the rest of the day. She growled at him for a moment, but blushed a bit and turned her head away.

"Fine...Just be gentle." she mumbled, opening them up wider from her back and stretching them slightly. Tyson scooted a bit closer before gently taking her right wing in his hands. He had dismissed his Sacred Gear to get a more authentic feel with both hands, and _boy_ was he glad he did.

"They're so soft..." he whispered to himself, unable to hold in his amazement. He would have thought they were rough to the touch based on their appearance, but they were softer than even the pillows of his bed back home. Raynare could barely hold in her moan as his fingers dexterously combed through her feathers.

She bit her lip to control herself, but eventually it failed and she let out a breathy moan, much to Tyson's surprise. "Oh! I'm sorry, did that hurt!?" he cried, releasing her wing as she panted lightly from the stimulation. She fidgeted slightly in place as a dark blush covered her face.

After a moment, she calmed down enough to respond. "Ah, sorry. Our wings are really sensitive, and..." she trailed off. "Letting someone touch them is supposed to be a really intimate thing. I just let you do it since it was your first time seeing them up close."

Tyson stared at her in shock. 'She normally has such an intense expression, but seeing her act all shy like this really shows that she's just another person in the end...' he thought to himself, coughing into his fist and blushing slightly as well.

"S-sorry if I made you uncomfortable. Thank you for letting me touch them." he said, and she nodded. He took a deep breath before standing and holding his hand out to her. She looked between the outstretched hand and the man it belonged to before using it to pull herself up.

"Let's have another round. I think I'm as rested as I'll ever be." Tyson said, and the fallen couldn't help but agree. They took their stance and prepared to fight once more.

Azazel observed his subordinate and his new 'employee' with interest. One of the researchers beside him whispered.

"Azazel-sama, what just happened?" she asked, blushing a bit at the intimate display.

The man in question simply smiled as he mentally recalled how Raynare had been nasty to everyone and obsessed with him since he could remember. This little development did not go unnoticed, and he felt a bit of faith return in her for the first time in a while.

"Personal growth." was the one thing he used to describe what was happening in front of him.

Several hours later, both Tyson and Raynare were sitting at one of the tables in the protected area. Empty water bottles covered the entirety of the table along with a few empty beer bottles, and the two simply enjoyed the silence since the other researchers and Azazel had left to compile their data.

"You've gotten a lot better over the course of a few hours. I gotta say, I'm surprised." Raynare said, taking a swig of her cheap beer before placing the bottle back on the table. Tyson chuckled.

"You could still kick my ass every day of the week if you were trying seriously though. I mean seriously, Ray, I don't know where you're at in terms of power but you pack one hell of a punch." the man returned, causing the woman to blush at the nickname he gave her.

'Damn, why the hell am I blushing like some stupid schoolgirl around this guy!?' she thought angrily. She had always been proud of her body and unashamed of her brash personality, so finding herself actually _enjoying_ this human's company was unusual, to say the least.

Shaking her head to regain control of her thoughts, Raynare responded. "You are still just a human, after all. Your body isn't built to handle fights of this kind of intensity. Though, with how much you've improved using your Sacred Gear today alone, I can safely say that you'll surpass a lot of people one day, including me."

Tyson scratched his head at her compliment, since it still felt a bit strange to be complemented by the person who was playing with him during their fights as if he were a child. He had gotten strong enough to coat his entire arm in the black flames without harming himself, and he could throw them as simple fireballs, but he still couldn't manipulate them as freely as he wanted to. No matter how hard he tried, the flames defied his every command unless he forced them to do his bidding.

"Regardless, thanks for your help today. I know Azazel ordered you to, so you didn't have much of a choice, but I appreciate it." he said, smiling at her. She tried to glare at him, but found herself unable to resist the smile on the handsome man's face.

"Don't mention it..." she returned his smile before standing up. "Well, I better get back. Take it easy, Ty. I'm sure I'll see you around." Raynare said, waving lazily to him on the way out the door. Tyson gave a quick laugh as he realized that the two of them had known each other personally for little more than a few hours and they already shortened each others' names.

'Almost like...friends.' he thought to himself, smile fading. He still wasn't used to having real friends, so he was cautious around those who he wasn't certain of. Raynare was brash and shameless, but she had a good side hidden underneath that exterior somewhere.

Tyson picked up the empty bottles before tossing them all into the trash bin nearby. He summoned his Sacred Gear, admiring the shining metal of the gauntlet before creating a small black flame on his fingertip.

He dispelled the flame before creating another on another finger. He tried to see how fast he could dispel and create a new flame on another finger, just for fun. He held out his uncovered left hand palm facing upward to test something he was wondering about.

After a bit of concentration, an identical black flame appeared in his left hand, floating harmlessly above his palm. The man smiled at the fact that his assumption was correct.

'So, it has nothing to do with the Gear Itself. The flame is a part of me.' he thought, manipulating the flame's size before flicking it away as a miniature fireball. 'In that case...' he wondered if his next idea would bear fruit as well. Tyson created another flame and held it in his hand before concentrating on moving it around without throwing it.

The ball of black flames flickered as he tried manipulating it, flexing his magical power and letting his right hand drop from underneath the flames. It floated right where it had been created, and Tyson cheered to himself at his continued success.

He tried to move its position with his mind, but it proved far too difficult for him to manage. He backed up until the fireball was several feet away from him before holding out his hand with his palm forward, facing the ball. He concentrated on moving the ball along with his hand, and as he shifted his hand to the side, it followed.

He played around with it for a short while before pumping the fireball full of as much power as he could control and chucking it to the other end of the room. It exploded like a grenade, small black flames flying like shrapnel and landing around the blast radius.

Suddenly, he had another thought. Tyson tried to control more than one of the small flames to see if he could make use of them somehow. Unfortunately, controlling more than one flame at a time was more than he could handle.

He forced the remaining flames to dissipate, leaving a dark scorch mark on the ground in front of him. Smiling at what he could do after only a day or two of training, Tyson was excited for the possibilities of the future for the first time in a long while.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey everyone! Here's chapter 5! **

"Hello" - Words

'Hello' - Thoughts

_Hello_ \- Emphasis

**Hello **\- Abilities/Magic spells

**["Hello"]** \- Heavenly Dragon voice

**['Hello'] **\- Heavenly Dragon thoughts

**Feel free to review!**

Tyson collapsed on his bed, groaning as his muscles burned. 'Damn, what a day...' he thought to himself, breathing in the scent of the newly cleaned sheets.

He had just finished his toughest day on the job yet, being forced to experiment with all sorts of tricks and concepts using his Sacred Gear. Azazel, apparently, could be one hell of a slave driver when it came to getting research done. Tyson had received very few breaks in between his fireball throwing and combat training, and his exhaustion was the proof. Raynare had been noticeably absent today, so Azazel had him spar against training projections made of magic energy.

On his way home from work, he had chosen to grab dinner along the way so Gorou and Miki didn't have to worry about cooking for him. He appreciated that they were willing to do so, but he felt bad every time they did something nice for him without expecting any sort of compensation.

He had taken a relaxing walk through the park on the way back, only adding about ten minutes to his commute. He had been smiling softly as the sounds of nature surrounded him with peaceful white noise, when he had an unexpected encounter.

"_Ah, so you're the one Azazel has been working on. I must admit, I'm a little disappointed to see such a weak dragon." a voice called out from somewhere nearby. Tyson realized, too late, that nobody else was around and this was most likely someone from the supernatural world. He turned toward where he thought the voice came from, and was met with a silver-haired young man. He was probably in his late teens, wearing a black collared shirt and green undershirt, along with black biker pants. From one of his pockets hung a small chain, giving him a punk look._

"_That'd be me. And who might you be?" the American demanded, turning fully toward the younger-looking man and clenching his fist in anticipation. If he was going to have a fight on his hands, he at least wanted to be prepared._

"_Don't worry, you're so far below my level that attacking you is a waste of my time. My name is Vali Lucifer, and I have come with a warning for you, Prison Dragon." he said, approaching before stopping a short distance away. Tyson narrowed his eyes. 'This guy knows?...'_

"_And what might that warning be about?"_

"_Vritra still sleeps, but he will not sleep forever. His power has always been difficult to control because there was never a dragon to teach it to its wielder. If you should awaken him yourself, he might have mercy on your soul and allow you free use of his strength. If he wakes on his own, he may not be so gracious." the man said, stuffing his hands in his pockets. Tyson raised an eyebrow at that._

"_You want me to wake up the big guy inside me? Sorry, but he's interrupted my good night's rest a couple too many times for me to be excited to meet him let alone talk to him." he responded._

_Suddenly, a blue light appeared behind Vali's back and glowed softly in the evening sun. __**["It is not unusual for dragon hosts to see visions of their tenants. That is not what you should be worried about."]**__ a deep voice echoed throughout the space. Tyson was certain it was coming from Vali, but the voices were far too different to be one and the same._

_Tyson couldn't help the look of surprise on his face. "Who said that?" he asked, prompting the blue glow to return._

_**["My name is Albion. I am the White Dragon of Supremacy and one of the two Heavenly Dragons."]**__ the newly named Albion introduced himself. "He's inside of my Sacred Gear: the Divine Dividing." Vali added._

_The American didn't really know how to respond for a moment, taking those few seconds to gather his thoughts. "So, what is it that I should be worried about then?"_

_**["You should not be concerned with your visions of the Prison Dragon. What you should be concerned with is whether or not you will survive his awakening."]**__ Albion said, making Tyson sweat a bit in nervousness. __**["He was not the friendliest of dragons, often reverting to more primal instincts in the heat of the moment. I would not be surprised if he attempts to kill you immediately upon your meeting."]**_

_Tyson decided to ask another question. "Why exactly was Vritra split into pieces and sealed into Sacred Gears anyway? Azazel mentioned that he was an 'evil dragon', but what does that even mean?" Vali was the one to respond._

"_Evil dragons are ones that have become so merciless that they are willing to destroy anyone and anything in their path without hesitation." the silver-haired man said. __**["To be more precise, they are dragons who have devoted their entire existence to chaos."] **__The White Dragon added._

"_So basically he's not someone I want to piss off. Noted." The human said, crossing his arms. Vali chuckled._

"_Maybe, but imagine wielding that power for yourself. You could fight some of the strongest beings in existence, wouldn't that be exciting?" he asked, getting a shrug from the taller man._

"_I don't know if I care enough about fighting to actively seek out fights, but if they're trying to kill me already then I don't see a problem with it. What, is your life goal to die in some glorious battle against God or something?" the man joked. Vali scoffed at him._

"_If only you knew. Yes, my goal is to become stronger by any means necessary so I can become the White Dragon God Emperor. To do that, I have to take down the strongest dragon to ever exist: Great Red." he gained a look in his eyes that spoke of a hidden insanity. Tyson recoiled slightly at the proud declaration, but maintained his relaxed appearance._

"_Hey if that's what you wanna do with your life, be my guest. I'm still trying to figure this supernatural shit out, to be honest. I haven't had time to make any long term plans."_

"_No long term plans? And you're how old? Talk about being behind the curve, nya." Tyson flinched as a woman's voice came from directly behind him. He hadn't felt her presence in the slightest, despite being more aware than he had been a few days ago._

_He turned and saw a woman of average height, wearing a black kimono with a red interior that did wonders to show off her unbelievable figure. Tyson struggled to keep his eyes away from her bountiful chest, which practically spilled out from her clothing. He managed to do so, only to be surprised yet again as the woman's black hair was joined by two black cat-like ears. Shaking his head a bit, he noticed two black tails swishing playfully behind her._

_Tyson couldn't help the blush that invaded his face, but he continued to look her in the eyes. The woman laughed openly at his expression. "What's the matter? Never seen a pretty girl before?" she teased, sauntering up to him before circling him like a shark around a meal. Tyson's eyes followed her every move._

_Finding his voice, the man responded. "Plenty of pretty girls, but not a lot of pretty cat girls." he managed to say, forcing his heart rate to return to normal. The woman suddenly brought her face much closer to his, and he could clearly make out the golden, slitted eyes of a cat on her face._

"_Hmm?..." she smirked, placing her hand against his chest seductively. "You seem rather calm for a human. Most men would be eating out of the palm of my hand already, nya." she said, causing Tyson to lock eyes with her and stare at her lazily._

"_Let's just say I have a lot of experience with people putting on an act." he responded flatly. The woman flinched slightly, barely noticeable to many but at this distance it was impossible to hide. Her slightly widened eyes also gave away her surprise, before her face quickly settled back into its teasing smirk._

"_I'm sure you have plenty of experience in _other_ things as well, hmm?" she prodded, trailing her hand from his chest up to his neck and slowly wrapping her arm behind his neck, pulling their chests together. Tyson managed to smirk right back at her despite wanting nothing more than to melt from the sensation of her breasts pressed against him._

"_You'd be surprised at how far a little sensitivity goes." he said before she flinched yet again in shock as he gently ran his hand down the length of her long tails. In doing so, she clutched herself tighter to the man's body and slightly dug her fingernails into his shoulders. The high-pitched "eep!" she let out was nothing short of adorable, and Tyson failed to hold in his chuckle._

_She broke apart from him before backing up several feet and pouting. "That's not fair! You cheated!" she exclaimed, pointing at him. Her tails were fluffed and stiffened, and Tyson couldn't help but laugh openly at her. She huffed and crossed her arms under her large breasts before looking to the side with a blush._

"_Enough fooling around, Kuroka. We've done what we came here to do. If we take any longer, Bikou will get bored. You know how he breaks things when he gets bored." Vali said, exasperatedly. The woman, now known as Kuroka, regained her composure quickly as her face once again found its smirk._

"_Aww, and I was having so much fun with this one, nya. He's got a stronger will than anyone else, and he even fights back a little." she let out a soft noise akin to a purr before looking at Tyson with half-lidded eyes. "Consider this kitty interested." she said, seductively with a wink. Tyson fought the urge to blush once again at her bluntness._

_Kuroka sashayed to him with a noticeable sway in her hips before leaning in and licking the man's cheek, earning a fierce blush from him as he recoiled instantly with a hand holding the cheek she had molested. She laughed heartily at him before walking normally up to Vali._

"_He's a fun one, nya. We should keep him around, Vali. He's much more interesting than anyone else back home." she said, to which the Hakuryuukou (White Dragon Emperor) scoffed._

"_Get stronger, Prison Dragon. Or should I call you Tyson Solomon? Regardless, become strong enough to be a worthy opponent for me. I'll be waiting." Vali said, before creating a summoning circle beneath his feet. Before he disappeared, Albion spoke up._

_**["It would be in your best interest to strengthen your will as well as your power, Solomon. I have a feeling you will need every bit of strength you can find in order to keep Vritra under control, should he be awakened."]**__ Left with that, the silver-haired man vanished into thin air._

_Kuroka stayed behind, walking up to the man before adopting an uncharacteristically serious expression._

"_I can smell my sister on you." she stated, accusingly. Tyson gave her a confused look. "I'm pretty sure if I ever met another girl with cat ears and tails I would have remembered it." he said, simply._

_She shook her head. "Her name is Shirone. She's my little sister, and she's a devil under the Gremory girl. She has white hair." the woman described, and Tyson immediately knew to whom she referred._

"_You mean Koneko? We've met once, but she doesn't talk much. She was nice to me, though, so I didn't mind."_

_The black cat clenched her fists at her side, taking a few moments to collect her thoughts. "...Is she happy?..." she asked, forgoing her usual 'nya' at the end._

_Tyson rubbed his chin in thought. "Well she didn't seem sad, but she doesn't show too much emotion so it was hard to tell. She's basically the opposite of you." he stated, and the woman's ears flicked once._

"_How so, nya?" her teasing expression was back with a vengeance._

"_You let everything show on your face, even the stuff you try to hide. You wouldn't be asking about her with such a serious face if everything was alright between you two." he said, stuffing his hands into his pockets casually. Kuroka's teasing expression dropped until she looked like nothing more than a vulnerable woman. Her ears and tails drooping only accentuated this._

"_You're too perceptive for your own good, you know." she sighed. _

_Tyson chuckled at her. "If you ever want to talk about it, I'm all ears. I know the look of someone trying to keep it together and barely hanging on." he offered, and the woman smiled gently at him before he turned his head away with his expression becoming somber._

"_I see it in the mirror every day..." he mumbled to himself. _

_Kuroka heard it clearly, and her ears flattened while her smile dropped. After a few moments of silence, Tyson felt two arms snake around his back and a head gently lay itself on his chest. He looked down and saw the top of the cat's head before cautiously wrapping his arms around her shoulders. She was only a few inches shorter than he was, so the height difference was manageable._

"_I guess we're both just two broken people, huh?" she whispered into his chest. Tyson hummed in response, the gentle rumble of his vocal chords and his peaceful aura calming the woman down, unbeknownst to the man himself. They held their position for half a minute before slowly releasing each other. Kuroka smiled earnestly at him, and he found it impossible to avoid smiling back._

"_I like you, Tyson. We should keep in touch." she said before creating her own summoning circle. As the bright light enveloped her, the man could vaguely see the blush on the woman's face before she vanished._

Tyson groaned as he recalled how he had felt as Kuroka literally played with his emotions. 'Damn, I felt like I turned into Issei for a moment there. He probably would have died of happiness if she tried that on him though.' he chuckled to himself before flipping over onto his back.

Suddenly, he felt magic being used very close by. Close enough to be inside of the house.

Tyson walked over to his surrogate brother's room before knocking lightly. No response. Deciding to check on him, he opened the door slowly only to see a familiar red-haired girl in the process of stripping herself of her uniform. Issei was sitting on the edge of the bed, his clothes torn and stained with blood.

The American entered the room, catching the attention of both of its residents. "Yo." he said, casually ignoring the current situation as it seemed to be something he'd be seeing a lot of in the future.

"Big br- I mean, Tyson!" Issei exclaimed before his expression turned depressed. Seeing this, Tyson raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. Rias was still in the process of getting naked.

"It's been a few days since I've really seen you, kiddo. You look like you got tossed around a bit." the older man frowned at the younger boy's face. Issei flinched as his wounds reopened slightly, and Rias took this moment to crawl into bed next to him and press herself against his body.

Shockingly, Issei barely reacted to having the Gremory's body against his own. He was so lost in thought that he didn't utter a single perverted thing in that moment. It took several seconds for the shorter brunet to respond. "Asia..." he mumbled.

"What was that? I couldn't hear you." Tyson asked.

"They took Asia...She's a nun I met yesterday after school. I saw her today and the fallen angels kidnapped her. They said something about a ritual." he whispered, making the older man narrow his eyes.

'Why would the fallen angels be kidnapping nuns? That doesn't sound like something Azazel would do.' he thought to himself. He managed to keep his contemplative expression to himself, knowing that Rias was perceptive enough to catch even the slightest slip-up. 'Better contact him and see what's going on here.'

"Well? Are you going to go save her or what?" Tyson asked, nudging him with his foot. "You don't seem happy with staying here right now, so you obviously want to do something about it." Rias sent the taller brunet a small glare.

"Issei is staying here with me until his wounds are healed. He was just attacked by a fallen _again_. We can't afford to have him picking fights over a member of the church." she said, aggravating both men in the room.

"But we can't just leave her - " Issei started but was cut off by a light slap from his master. Tyson's glare intensified at the harsh treatment.

"We can't go and attack an unknown number of fallen angels in their territory. It's reckless, dangerous, and unnecessary to begin with." she lectured. Tyson could see the conflict in Issei's eyes as well as the burning intensity of a man with a mission.

"Well, have fun with that. Work was exhausting so I'll probably pass out soon. Just remember kiddo," he began to leave but turned his head back to lock eyes with his surrogate brother, "your heart will tell you what the right thing is. Follow it." he finished as he walked out of the room and gently closed the door.

The American made his way outside before holding his hand up to his ear, creating a communication circle directly tied to Azazel. Today's morning lesson had been about simple magic such as communication circles, sensing auras, and he had attempted to create a summoning circle of his own.

He had failed, appearing on the other side of Grigori instead of the next room over. Needless to say, he got lost and had to be found by Azazel himself.

Moments later, a voice spoke directly into his ear. "Yo, Tyson. Glad to see you actually remembered how this stuff works!" the man spoke, awfully cheerful for the time of day. It was already evening, and the sun was halfway beyond the horizon.

"Azazel. Something is going on here."

"Do tell." came the flippant reply.

"Did you order some of your people to capture a nun here in Kuoh?"

"What? Where the hell did you get that idea?" the man asked, baffled. Tyson let out a sigh of frustration.

"Issei apparently got attacked by a fallen angel today. He was hanging out with some nun he met named Asia, and they kidnapped her while mentioning something about a ritual."

Silence held in the air for a few moments before the Governor replied. "This is bad, but it could also be a good opportunity. Those fallen must have gone rogue, since I never gave an order like that. They may be working on their own, or they received orders from someone else to do it."

Tyson hummed in response. "So you're saying we try to use this situation to find out who's really behind it all, right?" A short laugh was Azazel's response.

"I knew you'd understand me! Great minds must think alike. You're exactly right; I'll have you go in and investigate under the guise of an unaffiliated third party. If you can gather any sort of information, it'd be helpful." Tyson shook his head despite knowing that the other man couldn't see it.

"Actually, I have another idea. Rias seems a bit pissed at Issei for wanting to go save the nun, but he's getting a bit defiant. I have a feeling he'll head to wherever they're holding her whether Red wants him to or not." he chuckled and Azazel barked out a quick laugh.

"Ha! The kid's got a bit of fire in him, eh? Even better! Help them save the girl, and find out as much as you can about the rogue fallen. I'll show up once everything is over and..._convince_ them to explain the details." he said with a deceivingly dangerous edge at the end.

"Sounds good to me. You can track me no matter where I am, right?" he asked, receiving an affirmative and sweatdropping. "Just don't abuse that and I won't lie to Penemue that you're turning me into a pervert."

"Hey wait! You wouldn't do that would you!?" Azazel cried out before Tyson cut the communication line abruptly and walking back inside. He heard Issei yelling something and the sound of another slap before another teleportation circle was made.

Knocking on the boy's door, he asked. "Is she gone?"

"Yeah..." came the sad reply. Opening the door fully, Tyson saw that Issei's face still had a red handprint on his cheek. Tyson chuckled.

"Man, she really got you good Issei. What did you say to piss her off like that?"

The boy sighed in exasperation. "I told her that we couldn't let those fallen angels do whatever they're going to do to Asia, but Buchou got super strict about it. She...told me to forget about her completely." he sighed again, slumping forward. "She mentioned some things about promotions in chess and enemy territory, but at that point I was too upset to pay any attention to it. I told her that if she didn't like me saving Asia's life then she should release me from her household."

Tyson stifled a chuckle and settled for a smile instead. "You're a guy who knows what he wants, that's for sure. I doubt anyone has the power to change that about you. Regardless, you're not really planning on listening to her, are you?" he asked, making Issei's head shoot up in surprise. All traces of depression were instantly wiped away, and replaced with shock.

"You...you want me to go against Buchou's orders?" he asked, cautiously. He had only known Tyson for a few days, but he trusted the older man with his life. After all, the man had saved him once before already.

Tyson smirked. "Come on, you're not gonna let some pretty devil tell you what you can and can't do, are you? This Asia person is obviously important to you, so we're going to go save her."

Standing up from his place on the bed, Issei's look of surprise became more so. "You're going to help me save her!? Really!?" he asked, excitedly. Tyson crossed his arms. "Sure am, kiddo. You know where they're located, right?"

"Yeah! They're in the abandoned church on the North side of town!"

"Alright then, let's get out there and save your new girlfriend!" Tyson said, turning and leaving the room with a hand motion for Issei to follow.

"Sh-she's not my girlfriend!"

It only took them a short while to the forest beside the abandoned church. Issei was in tip-top shape due to his endurance as a devil, but Tyson was slightly winded. The older man stopped for a moment to catch his breath, while the younger man kept running, saying they would meet up at the church.

After Issei had vanished from sight, a summoning circle appeared behind Tyson and two beautiful women appeared. Two very familiar, distinct women.

"Tyson? What are you doing here?" Rias asked, genuinely confused at his appearance. The man in question shrugged.

"Issei told me there was a nun to save, and I couldn't let him go by himself. That'd be suicide." he explained, casually as he put his hands in his pockets. Akeno, the other woman who appeared, giggled.

"Ufufu, it seems this got more interesting than you thought it would, Rias."

The redhead sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I knew he would come here, but to do it with only one person to help? I swear, Issei is going to give me wrinkles from the stress." Tyson chuckled at her.

"You're far too young to start worrying about wrinkles, trust me. So, what else do you know about the fallen that are apparently here?" he asked, leaning up against a nearby tree. Looking down, he saw a black feather sitting on the ground near his feet.

Looking up, he saw three people sitting and standing in the tree branches. The two devils caught his line of sight and noticed their opponents as well.

"So, the devils have come out of hiding. I was starting to get bored standing guard out here, so you came at the perfect time. I am Mittelt, and I'm totally the most awesome fallen angel in the history of ever!" a short, blonde girl with large pigtails and a maid outfit said. She hopped off the branch she had been sitting on, allowing herself to gracefully fall to the ground.

"One of my servants sensed you here. Since you're out here standing guard, your people must be worried about an attack."

The lolita girl gave a quick snort of laughter. "Worried? Nah, we're just in the middle of a super secret ritual and we don't want you devils interfering."

Akeno placed her hand on her check and smiled with her eyes closed. "Not to burst your bubble, but some of our younger members are already inside."

"They're WHAT!?" the blonde exclaimed, turning and stomping her foot onto the ground in frustration. "Are you freaking kidding me!?"

"Nope, and they're not exactly being discreet about it." Akeno replied, smugly.

The young blonde girl continued to stomp her foot like a spoiled child. "Ooooo I hate devils so much! I just want to squish their ugly little devil faces!" She let out an exasperated sigh. "It doesn't matter though, let them do their worst. There are way more of us than there are of them."

"So why are you two here? I hope you're not here for some kind of rescue operation, because if you are, you'll need to go through me first." she turned back toward them with a smirk.

"Actually," Rias piped in, "We're here for no such thing. We're not planning on lending them any assistance." This brought a confused look to the girl's face.

"You mean you're just going to watch?" she asked, before another much deeper voice spoke up.

"That's enough, Mittelt. I'd say it's a pleasure to see you again, Lady Gremory, but you should have taken my advice and kept your servant in line." a man said. He wore a beige trench coat and a fedora, looking like some stereotypical private investigator.

"He stuck his nose where it doesn't belong. Again." a tall, blue haired woman with a massive chest said. She wore a plum colored shirt that was multiple sizes too small to contain her bust, and it eventually ended as a short skirt high on her legs.

"Ara ara, it seems like the gang's all here." Akeno said while holding her cheek and smiling. Tyson narrowed his eyes at the other two fallen angels, stepping out from his place at the base of the tree.

"So you three are here to do something or other to some little nun, right? On whose orders?" he asked, crossing his arms and earning a curious look from everyone nearby.

The blue haired woman sneered at him. "Why should we bother telling you, human trash? Even if you're a Sacred Gear wielder, this doesn't involve you!" she shouted, causing Tyson to smirk.

"You'd be surprised." he said, before summoning the Blaze Black Flare. Akeno decided to create a barrier using her magic, trapping everyone inside. Moments later, black flames appeared on the ground at the edges of the barrier before slowly extending up the walls of the phantasmal shield. Within seconds, the flames had covered the entire surface of the barrier minus a small hole at the top. The flames blotted out all the light within, blanketing the group in nearly complete darkness aside from the small rays of light from the moon.

Everyone else was shocked into silence. Deciding that now was his best chance to speak, Tyson did so.

"I'll ask again. _Under whose orders are you capturing this nun?_" he asked, voice darkened and threatening. If he were paying closer attention to the two girls at his side, he would have noticed Akeno biting her lip at him with a deep blush.

"We have no reason to tell you that information. You're a fool if you think a little darkness can scare us." the man in the trench coat spoke. Tyson let a little more of his power leak out, and the flames literally flowed from his body, emitting an intense heat.

"I'll ask one more time." he asked, tone carrying a deadly edge. "Who told you to be here? Tell me, and maybe I won't have Azazel cut your wings off." That threat _definitely_ got the attention of not only the fallen angels, but the devils he was supposedly helping.

"Tyson, what - " Rias started, before she was cut off by a finger in her face. Despite the darkness, all of the supernaturals there could see just as well. "How do you know about Azazel-sama!?" Mittelt demanded, stomping her foot once again.

"I'll explain it to you later, but unless you give me the answers I want, I can't guarantee that you'll survive the night."

The three fallen looked at each other, scowling before relenting. "Azazel-sama assigned us a mission as a team to assist Raynare in her task. Your bargaining chip to turn us against him is useless." the trench coat man said.

Although hearing that Raynare was involved in this situation both surprised and hurt him a little, Tyson forged on in his interrogation. "Oh? And did the wise leader tell you what _her_ mission was?" he prodded, trying to make them sweat in nervousness.

They shared another look, eyes narrowing. "We trust Azazel-sama with our lives." Mittelt said, crossing her arms. "We simply follow his orders without question. That is what we do."

"Then you'd be happy to hear that your _Azazel-sama_ didn't plan whatever Raynare is up to. Her mission was to observe two Sacred Gear users in the area and determine whether they were a threat. I'm one of those wielders, and Issei, the short pervy kid, is the other. She accomplished this mission nearly a week ago." he reported, before raising an eyebrow. "You mean she didn't tell you?"

The blue haired woman seethed while the trench coat man and lolita girl clenched their fists. "How the hell do you know this?" she demanded, glaring in his direction. Rias and Akeno had stayed quiet during this time, simply observing as they had originally intended.

"I've been with Azazel every single day for nearly a week. He's the boss at my job."

The two devils were stunned to say the least. "Wh-what!?" Rias stammered. "Why didn't you tell me you were seeing him this whole time!?" she asked, mouth open in shock. Akeno's response was much more subdued, but still surprised.

"You're not my boss, my master, or my girlfriend. My business is my own." he said, his tone a deadly biting edge. Rias looked down in slight sadness, but Akeno seemed...aroused?

"That's some bullshit!" Mittelt screamed. "Azazel-sama wouldn't hire a human like you, even if you have a Sacred Gear!"

"Wait, Mittelt." the man spoke, more calmly than before. "What proof do you have that Azazel did not order us to capture Asia Argento?" Tyson shrugged.

"How about I call him right now? He could tell you himself."

This earned another shocked look, and a disbelieving one from the blue haired woman. Tyson held his hand up to his ear and created a communication circle. "Yo, Azazel. It's me." he spoke, coarsely.

"Ah, you managed to sneak in? Find anything out?" a familiar carefree voice echoed from the circle. The three fallen angels were gobsmacked, floating to the ground. Rias and Akeno shared a look.

"Azazel-sama! Is that really you!?" the blue haired woman asked.

"Is that Kalawarner? Yep, it's me alright! The kid told me that some nun got abducted by you guys." his tone took a dark turn. "Who gave you orders to do this?" he demanded, his voice sounding much more like a leader.

The three fallen began to sweat. "R-Raynare told us we were to capture the nun, Asia Argento, to extract her Sacred Gear! She said it was to strengthen our forces in the event of a large scale skirmish or even another war!" the man reported, nervousness evident in his voice.

"Ah, Dohnaseek, thank you for your report. I assume Mittelt is there as well?"

"Y-yes Azazel-sama!" the girl replied, completely losing her bratty attitude while speaking to her superior.

"Good, the three of you are together. In any case, it seems Raynare has disobeyed her orders and gone rogue. If you three are intelligent, you will cease your resistance and return to Grigori immediately. If not..." he trailed off, "I may let my _student_ annihilate you completely." he threatened.

At this, Rias could hold her questions no longer. "Boss? _Student!?_ Tyson, what the hell have you been up to!?" she demanded, crossing her arms as the flames slowly receded from the barrier, allowing light to sink into the area of the forest once again.

Tyson merely shook his head. "Now is not the time. I promise I'll explain later, so let's worry about saving the kid and the nun, alright? If he's fighting Raynare, he'll probably have a hard time."

Rias huffed. "Fine, but you better not disappear before this is over or I _will_ hunt you down!" she pointed at him to emphasize her point.

Laughter came from the communication circle. "Alright Tyson, continue your mission. Save the nun, and try to keep Raynare alive so I can interrogate her, got it?"

"Sure." was the simple reply before he cut the two-way communication. Kalawarner, Dohnaseek, and Mittelt all held expressions of shock and minor depression.

"What should we do?..." Mittelt asked, weakly. Dohnaseek shook his head. "We go back to Grigori, obviously. Raynare can go and get herself killed if she wants, I'd rather live under a rock forever than get on Azazel-sama's bad side."

Kalawarner was so stunned she could barely speak. "What the hell is even going on here?..." she mumbled to herself, fists clenched as she glared at the dirt.

The three shared a short look, with eyebrows raised in concern. "Fine. We'll let you do as you want, human. I don't know how you and Azazel are really acquainted, but if what you say is true, we should be seeing you around Grigori. We can talk more then." Dohnaseek said, getting a nod from his two fallen companions.

"Yeah. Knowing Azazel, he'll let you guys off the hook for not knowing. Raynare? Probably not so much. At best he'll lock her in Grigori for awhile. At worst, she gets clipped or killed." he said, making scissors using his fingers in a method that the fallen were _far_ too familiar with. They flinched at the mere mention of the process of having their wings literally cut off. It was one of the most agonizing kinds of pain an angel, fallen or otherwise, could ever receive.

"Hopefully she has enough of a brain to go back on her own. Mittelt, Kalawarner, we're leaving." the man ordered. "Right!" they responded, opening their wings before creating a summoning circle beneath their feet and disappearing right in the center of Akeno's barrier.

Tyson let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, clutching his chest. "Damn, that was a lot more stressful than I thought it would be." he said, exasperatedly. Rias pinched the bridge of her nose before groaning.

"And here I thought this would be simple. Kill a few rogue fallen, save a little church girl, and hopefully get Issei to understand the danger of being impulsive." she muttered. Akeno giggled at her friend.

"Ufufu. Rias, you should know by now that nothing is ever simple when Issei is involved." she said, giving that 'eyes closed and hand on her cheek' smile that Tyson had recognized as distinctively hers.

Tyson took a few deep breaths before starting to walk away. "Come on, we need to make sure the kid doesn't screw things up. If Raynare is acting how I think she is, she's probably fucking with his head right now."

Rias and Akeno shared a look that told of a secret guilt, before following him. Along the way, the redhead tried multiple times to entice the older man into explaining how he had ended up in service of the fallen angels. However, he shrugged off her offers of _hospitality_ and _benefits_ with little more than the same kind, eyes-closed smile that Akeno was fond of using.

Said black haired girl failed to stifle her giggles, while Rias herself was _not_ amused.

Soon enough, they were at the door of the abandoned church. The door was opened and the doors were hanging off of their hinges as if they had been forced open. Inside, Issei was in the middle of being stabbed in the legs by light spears.

"Agh, damn it!" he cursed, struggling to hold himself together. Tyson noticed the red gauntlet upon his arm, and his eyes widened. 'It's just like mine but different somehow...' he thought to himself. Surely there was some kind of connection between them?

Raynare had an evil smirk upon her face as she taunted him. "I'll admit, your tenacity is to be commended. For a low-class devil, you're handling yourself quite well. If only you had been this aggressive during our date, maybe you wouldn't have been a virgin when you died!" she cackled maniacally at the boy, who stood on shaky feet.

"You bitch...I'll do anything it takes to protect her. Even if I have to give up everything, I'll protect Asia!" he roared, a green light emanating from the back of his gauntlet before it changed form. Claws materialized over his fingers, and it gained a scale-like appearance. Two yellow spikes jutted out toward his elbow, and a green gem shined brilliantly on the back of the gauntlet.

**[Explosion!]**

The word was announced before the green light burst forth from his body. He continued roaring, and Tyson could feel the boy's aura skyrocket until it far exceeded everyone else's. Raynare was terrified, summoning another light spear before attempting to fly away from her opponent.

However, he quickly caught her foot before she could get far. "This is for Asiaaaaa!" he yelled, slugging her in the face and causing the fallen's body to crash through the stained glass window. Tyson flinched as he heard the crunching noise of her body hitting the ground outside.

"Not bad, Issei. It seems you can fight after all." Rias said, smiling at her Pawn. Issei's eyes flicked to his master for a moment before another word was announced.

**[Reset!]**

Suddenly, he slumped forward as if every ounce of strength had left him. He panted heavily, both from pain and exhaustion. Tyson walked up to him before patting his surrogate brother on the back.

"Feel better, big guy?" he joked, earning a weak chuckle from the younger brunet. "A little. Payback sure is sweet." he said, before using the older man's arm to stand up.

"Someone order one of these?" Koneko walked in through the church door dragging Raynare by her wing, before tossing her ungracefully onto the ground in front of her. The fallen was too weak to stand, and settled for her place on the ground.

Rias decided to step up to the prone woman, staring down at her. "You must be Raynare. I hope you've realized that Issei's Sacred Gear is no mere Twice Critical, so don't feel too embarrassed about losing to him. That is, in fact, the strongest of the Red Dragon Sacred Gears: the Boosted Gear." she declared, earning a look of surprise from both Raynare and Tyson.

"Im-impossible! The power to defeat God, in the hands of a child!?" she seethed, even as the devils present flinched a bit at His name. She looked toward the boy in question, only for her eyes to widen like saucers as she noticed a familiar man with him.

"Tyson!?" she asked, incredulous. "What are you doing with these devils!?" she asked, desperately. He shrugged at her.

"Ray, tell me the truth here, who told you to steal Asia Argento's Sacred Gear?" he asked, approaching her and crossing his arms. Rias and her peerage all looked at him strangely, curious about how close the two seemed.

She hesitated, lowering her gaze. "Azazel knows that someone else ordered you to do this, Ray. If you give up and tell him, he might _not_ clip your wings." the woman flinched at his reminder of the consequences for treason.

After a few moments, she spoke softly. "Kokabiel...he told me that war was coming no matter what anyone wanted. He said the fallen needed to keep the fallen healthy since we couldn't reincarnate new fallen like the devils can, and..." she trailed off. Tyson had a feeling he knew where this was going, but he was interrupted as a teleportation circle appeared next to him.

Stepping out of the light was none other than the Governor of the fallen angels himself. "You thought you could impress me if you went above the call of duty, right?" he stated, more as a fact than a question. Raynare's look of shock was mirrored by everyone except Tyson, who looked at him deadpanned.

"You're late." he said, earning a chuckle and a shrug from the blond-banged man.

"I saw an old woman along the way trying to cross the street. I couldn't just leave her alone." he pleaded unashamedly, creating a fake excuse just for fun. "Anyway Raynare, if you really thought that _this_," he pointed to her, then at the nun lying dead on a pew nearby, "was the right way to impress me, you were very wrong."

She stuttered, eyes wide as she regretted her actions immediately. She had never in her worst nightmares imagined that Azazel himself would show up to reprimand her. She thought he would be proud of her.

"Now, are you going to come back to Grigori and be a good little girl, or am I going to have to annihilate you right here?" he unleashed his aura, forcing everyone in the room to their knees as twelve pitch black wings sprouted from his back. Tyson struggled to breathe as the man's power weighed down on him like several times to force of gravity.

After several seconds, Azazel let his aura recede and his wings to vanish. Raynare was barely clinging to consciousness as she lay on the ground in front of him. Rias and her peerage were sweating bullets, but only Issei seemed to be drastically affected by it due to his exhaustion.

"Good. I was hoping you would see things my way." the man stated without even getting confirmation from his fellow fallen. "Sorry about the mess, miss Gremory. I'll be taking my subordinate back home so she can hopefully learn a lesson in following orders for once." he casually put his hands in his pockets and smiled, creating a teleportation circle and disappearing along with Raynare.

Rias was pissed. No. To be more precise, she was _livid_.

"Tyson Solomon." she started, with a dangerous tone as she turned to look at him. Black and red energy flowed off of her body in waves, causing her similarly colored hair to flow as if there was a breeze. "What the _actual fuck_ is going on here!?" she demanded, stomping up to him with a glare that could melt ice.

Tyson could not help the bead of sweat that dripped down the side of his face. He turned his head away from the enraged redhead before sighing defeatedly. "I was out looking for a job a few days ago, and I just so happened to walk into some cover building for the fallen angel headquarters. The name sucked too: 'Fallen Inc.'" he scoffed. "Even I could think of a better name than that."

The Gremory heiress was not amused, and she crossed her arms while tapping her foot impatiently for him to continue. "I...sorta walked in and Azazel offered to pay me if I trained under him and helped him research my Sacred Gear. For such a carefree guy, he pays surprisingly well." the man mused, regaining his composure and looking back to see the girl's pouting face.

"And in the span of two days you've become this strong?" she asked, flatly. He merely nodded. "It wasn't easy, but when you have two entire work days dedicated to training you end up growing a lot." he reasoned. The girl's pout intensified, and Issei couldn't help but be jealous that he himself couldn't cause the same reactions in his master as Tyson could.

Issei decided to step up and interject. "Umm, Buchou. Isn't it a good thing that Tyson has been on good terms with the fallen this whole time? That's good for faction relations, or whatever, isn't it?" he asked, innocently. Rias sighed.

"In a way, yes. However, the fact remains that this incident could have restarted the war if it went wrong. We're lucky that the Governor of the fallen angels decided to take responsibility for this incident himself, or my brother would have caused a scene when he hears about it." she rubbed her forehead to ease her headache.

Tyson, deciding to take a page out of his boss's book, clapped his hands together and smiled innocently. "Well. All's well that ends well, right?" he said, before taking a few steps backward and creating a teleportation circle. Rias attempted to stop him, but only managed to see his smirk and "see ya!" before he vanished.

She kicked a nearby pew with a grunt of anger that was far from lady-like. It broke in half from the impact. Her peerage members, including Koneko, sweatdropped.

After watching his master pant angrily for short while, Issei turned toward his purpose for coming here. Asia Argento, the nun who previously wielded the Sacred Gear known as Twilight Healing, lay dead on the nearby bench. "Buchou...isn't there anything we can do for her?" he asked, tears brimming at the corners of his eyes.

Seeing her servant's distress, Rias filed this incident into the part of her brain labeled 'reasons to kill Tyson Solomon in his sleep'. Issei's tears began to fall one by one. "Can't you revive her, like you did for me? Please...she didn't deserve anything like this..." he sobbed, clutching the dead girls' hand in his own.

Sighing, the redhead summoned her box of Evil Pieces before plucking her single remaining Bishop from it and dismissing the box. She walked up to Asia's body and placed the piece upon her corpse before chanting. "I, Rias Gremory, take you, Asia Argento, as my loyal Bishop. Rejoice in your new life as a devil!"

The Bishop sank into her body, and Issei, who was seeing the process of reincarnation for the first time, stared in wonder. After a few moments, the red light from the Evil Piece vanished within the girl's body. However, Asia remained still.

"Is...is she going to be okay?" Issei timidly asked, looking to his master for confirmation. She nodded. "She'll need some rest, but she'll be just fine. After all, she did die." Her blunt way of speaking made the boy flinch, but he let out a sigh of relief knowing that his new friend would survive.

Meanwhile, in Grigori...

A small group of people stood in the Governor's office. Azazel himself sat in his large desk chair as the other four stood on the other end of said desk. One of them stood up front, while the other three were a small distance behind the individual.

"Raynare, I want you to be completely honest with me as if your life depends on it. To be frank, it does." the Governor said, tone unusually serious compared to his usual demeanor. The individual closest to him looked down in shame as she shook in fear.

"Kokabiel called me right after you gave me the mission to observe the two Sacred Gear holders in Kuoh. He...he told me that a nun by the name of Asia Argento, who possessed Twilight Healing, would arrive in Kuoh shortly. He told me to use the Gear-extracting device to steal Twilight Healing for myself to strengthen the fallen angel faction in the event of a war." she admitted, clenching her fists out of nervousness.

Azazel clicked his tongue. "And he used your obsession with me as the final nail in the coffin to get you to agree, right?" he prodded, his only response being a flinch and a slight nod from the woman in front of him. "He knew what to say to get you to do what he wanted, that's for sure. Seriously though, you need to cool it with this whole obsession business. If it wasn't obvious before, I'm not interested." he said, casually waving a hand as if shooing away a fly.

This only caused Raynare to cry. She hadn't cried in as long as she could remember, but simply hearing that not only was her idol severely disappointed in her, but he didn't reciprocate any of her feelings was enough to break the dam around her heart. She shook as sobs wracked her body.

The three bystanders merely closed their eyes as the sounds of a broken-hearted girl enveloped the room. They knew far too well what it was like to have a broken heart, but Raynare had brought this upon herself.

"Kalawarner, Dohnaseek, Mittelt. You three can go. It was my mistake not telling you three what your mission truly was, so the fault is mine. Thankfully, no harm was done." Azazel said. The three fallen each bowed before filing out of the door. They turned to see a familiar young man leaning against the wall outside of their leader's office, back against the wall and one leg casually propped up against it.

"It's you..." Mittelt said, catching the man's attention. He appeared as old as Dohnaseek, if not slightly younger. Regardless, his attitude spoke of maturity and experience.

"Yeah, it's me. I assume you guys got off without any punishment?" he asked, stepping off the walk and crossing his arms. Kalawarner was still suspicious of the newcomer, but nodded.

"Yes. Since we were only told to follow Raynare's orders, we were unaware of what she was up to." the bluenette said, mimicking his action and crossing her arms underneath her bust.

The human let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. Last thing I want is for people to die from a simple misunderstanding." he said, catching the fallen angels' interest.

"How did you end up here anyway? Your energy signature is closer to a dragon than anything else." Dohnaseek said, raising his fedora so Tyson could see his eyes clearly. Like most fallen angels, they were a deep purple color.

Tyson proceeded to explain how he stumbled upon Grigori by accident while looking for a job. Although the trio sweatdropped at how easy it was for someone to infiltrate their headquarters, it wasn't their responsibility to keep tabs on security in the place.

"So, what's your name?" the blonde lolita asked, hands on her hips casually.

"Tyson Solomon. Human. Wielder of the Blaze Black Flare, if you didn't recognize it earlier. Sorry about that, by the way. Gremory would have skinned me alive if I didn't at least look threatening to you guys." he chuckled as he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. The trio of fallen angels understood his reasoning, accepting it with no hard feelings.

"Regardless, thank you for informing us of the situation quickly. If we had continued to follow Raynare's orders against Azazel-sama's wishes..." Kalawaner trailed off. Based on her looking at the mahogany door leading to their boss's office, Tyson could clearly hear the rest of her unspoken sentence. 'We would end up like Raynare right now...'

Tyson waved off her thanks. "Don't mention it. I honestly didn't think Ray was crazy enough to think something like this would work out in the first place." he thought out loud before smiling at them. Their guards went up slightly. "Buuuuuuut, if you really want to thank me, you could always assist me with some training. I want to get strong enough to protect everyone I care about, and to do that I'll need to practice against lots of different people."

The three fallen shared a quick glance before looking back at him. "You're starting to sound like a certain Hakuryuukou, but without the insanity." Mittelt said. "But I'm in. I don't know how much help I'll be, but it's the least I can do considering you probably saved our lives."

Dohnaseek nodded. "You can count me in too. Besides, you showed off quite a bit of strength back there with your Sacred Gear. I'm personally very interested to see how strong you actually are in a fight." he said, smirking at the other man as they locked eyes with the challenge.

The blue haired woman closed her eyes in thought for a few moments before reopening them. "I'll help too. If we are to be allies, even distant ones, it would be helpful to know each other's strengths." she reasoned, earning a nod from the Vritra host.

"Alrighty then. I appreciate the assistance, but for tonight I'm beat. Azazel ran me into the ground with training earlier today, and it's already," he looked at a nearby clock on the wall before his eyes widened, "past midnight!? Damn, and that bastard probably expects me to be here tomorrow at 7am as usual..." he groaned. Although he had called their leader a bastard, the three fallen couldn't help but laugh softly at him.

"Have fun with that, buddy. I'll get to take a super awesome nap and sleep in!" Mittelt gloated, earning a half-hearted glare from the man. The other two laughed openly at the exchange.

"You're the actual worst."


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey everyone! Here's chapter 6! Things are starting to really settle into their main story, as I intend to diverge from the canon story from now on. This is, after all, Tyson's story. In addition, the pacing of certain parts of this chapter are a little unorthodox since I'm trying to make the story as a whole **_**not**_** take years to get from one place to another.**

**If you can't tell, I'm a lot better at writing specific scenes rather than connecting the scenes together with good amounts of separation.**

"Hello" - Words

'Hello' - Thoughts

_Hello_ \- Emphasis

**Hello **\- Abilities/Magic spells

**["Hello"]** \- Heavenly Dragon voice

**['Hello'] **\- Heavenly Dragon thoughts

**Feel free to review!**

It had been three full weeks since Raynare's plot to steal Twilight Healing was thwarted. During that time, Tyson had been hard at work with his training.

He had fought with Mittelt, who focused primarily on magics both light-based and otherwise. From her, he gained a solid understanding of magical properties as well as how to bend magic to his will. This resulted in significantly better control over his black flames, but he couldn't manage any magic on his own yet.

He had done battle with Kalawarner, who specialized in long range attacks and quick movements. During his time with her, Tyson's reaction time and battle instincts were sharpened until he could practically react to a bullet being fired from a pistol.

Finally, he had been challenged by Dohnaseek, a man who was an expert on hand to hand as well as light-sword combat. Tyson learned to defend himself much better, and bruises all over his body were a testament to his progress. He had attempted to recreate a blade using his black flames, but they were too unstable and refused to compress enough to make a solid form.

Overall, Tyson had gone from a mediocre fighter to a formidable opponent within a month. Azazel had described his growth as both unnatural and exceptional, which helped the man's confidence considering he was literally thrown into the supernatural not long ago. Curiously, Rias had left him alone ever since the incident. Tyson had expected her to bother him constantly for some reason or another, but he was pleasantly surprised to be wrong. In fact, he hadn't heard hide nor hair of Issei for the last few weeks either.

Currently, said man was being called to the Governor's office to be told something of 'great importance'. Knocking on the large wooden door, a lazy voice called in response.

"Enter."

Tyson did as he was told, entering the office before closing the door behind him silently. He knew how Azazel operated, so he casually sat in the chair across from the desk before relaxing in the comfortable leather seat.

"So, what's the situation this time? Another chance to catch Kokabiel?" he asked, smirking. Azazel chuckled in response, before leaning back in his chair. Apparently, Azazel had been sending out scouting parties in search of the other cadre-class fallen, but had little success besides a few leads.

"Actually, this one is a bit more tailored specifically for you. You've improved drastically over the past three weeks, frighteningly so. Because of this, I think you're ready to awaken Vritra." he said, earning a shocked look from his subordinate. Tyson's eyes widened, and he felt knots tie themselves in his stomach.

"A-are you sure about that?" he stuttered. Azazel noticed his student's reservation and nodded.

"Yeah. I honestly think you've got what it takes to keep him under control, or at least not die from his awakening. You interested?" he requested, but the look in his eyes practically demanded that the human does as he is asked.

After a few moments of contemplation and a drawn out sigh, Tyson replied. "...Yeah, I guess so. If I die from this, I'll come back and haunt you, ya know." he half-joked, earning a laugh from the blond-banged man.

"Get in line, kiddo. I've done some shitty things to people, so I'd be surprised if I wasn't already being haunted day and night." the man waved off the concern, literally, with his hand. "You'll be fine. All we need to do is artificially fuse the remaining Vritra Sacred Gears into your soul, and everything will be peachy."

Tyson gave a disbelieving look along with a raised eyebrow. "You want to mess with my _soul_ and you're saying everything will be fine? I'm not buying that for a second."

"Listen, I won't lie. It'll hurt, like a _lot_, but it'll be the first time Vritra was truly awakened since he was sealed. There's no telling what kinds of strange things could happen from there, and as a researcher I can't let this opportunity pass me by!" Azazel exclaimed, excitedly. Tyson sweatdropped.

"So, playing with my soul and my life are nothing compared to the information you _might_ get out of this." he stated, deadpan. Azazel merely laughed.

"You know me too well already! Be down in laboratory 4E in half an hour so we can get started. Oh, and be sure not to eat anything beforehand. I don't want to be cleaning half-digested food off the walls if you explode or something."

"_WHAT!?_"

"Anyway, see ya!" Azazel waved before vanishing in a bright light, leaving Tyson alone in the man's office.

'I swear to God I'll kill that man one day.' he angrily stewed in his thoughts, before sighing and leaving the room. He followed the signs posted in the twisting hallways to eventually find laboratory 4E, and he steeled his nerves before entering. In it, he saw an operating table in the center of the room. Desks covered with papers and formulae were nearby, as well as a few machines. In the corner of the room, two gauntlets that looked eerily similar to the Blaze Black Flare were displayed in a case.

Azazel appeared only a few moments after Tyson had shut the door behind him. "Ah, you're here earlier than expected. Wonderful, we can get started immediately." he said, clapping his hands excitedly. He went to a nearby computer and began typing something on the keyboard before looking up at the human. "Go ahead and summon your Gear, then lay down on the table. I just need to make a few final adjustments before we begin."

Tyson did as he was told, summoning the Blaze Black Flare and laying himself down on the table. He nervously glanced at the machinery that was hanging from the ceiling; the needles and odd devices did _not_ look friendly.

After finishing up what he was doing, the Governor turned to the man on the table. "I hope you're ready to meet a dragon king today, because we're either waking him up or you're dying. Probably the first one." he said, walking up to the prone man.

"What are my chances, exactly?"

"Ehh, I'd say you've got like a 64% chance of survival, but maybe a 30% chance that Vritra doesn't wake up even if we succeed in fusing the extra Gears."

"So my chances are barely passing a college exam. Gotcha." the brunet said, sighing. "Well, I always lived by the motto of 'C's get degrees' so this isn't too different. I'm ready." he said, resolutely. Azazel smiled at his student.

"Good. Now, what I need you to do is to close your eyes and focus on absolutely _nothing_ for a bit. If your emotions get in the way of the process, it could cause a negative reaction from the Sacred Gear already within your soul. Once we get that part done, I'll need you to dive into your Sacred Gear's consciousness to connect with Vritra." he explained. Tyson nodded and closed his eyes, letting his mind wander until it found nothing but white noise.

"Alright, let's begin the experiment." Azazel said, bringing up an incredibly complex magic circle before placing it above Tyson's form. It swirled and several smaller, similar magic circles appeared around the outer edge of the original. They slowly lowered before resting just above Tyson's body.

Azazel turned and retrieved the two Sacred Gears from the display case nearby. First, he held the Shadow Prison in his hand, before placing the pitch black gauntlet on top of Tyson's Blaze Black Flare. The smaller magic circles wrapped themselves around the two Sacred Gears and the machines fused them together with what seemed to be a blowtorch. Tyson's face twisted in agony, but he remained motionless to the best of his ability.

The Governor repeated the process with the Delete Field, until all that was left was Tyson and his newly formed Sacred Gear. The man was breathing heavily, gasping for as much air as his lungs could take. His right arm felt like molten lava covered in hellfire, and the pain was something he had never felt before in his life. It was more than just physical pain, it was like his right arm was spasming randomly from being controlled by someone else. Each one caused the nerves in his body to explode in agony.

"Okay...we've gotten through the complicated part. You can relax for a bit, Tyson." Azazel said, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow. Despite his lax attitude, nobody can say that the Governor is a lazy worker.

Finding his voice, Tyson spoke with a raspy tone. "My arm is freaking out on me right now. It hurts so _damn bad_..." he groaned, grabbing at his right arm with his left. Azazel gave a look of sympathy.

"I know, but you did very well. It takes a pretty strong will to sit there while someone is quite literally combining something in your soul. Even if the Vritra Sacred Gears have a sort of magnetism toward each other, putting them together in a way that your soul will accept is difficult." he said, taking a seat and drinking a nearby glass of water.

A couple minutes later and the two men were both calmed down. Tyson's nerves still burned like fire, but he was slowly becoming numb to it. The blond-banged man typed a few things into the computer, probably documenting their progress, before turning back to the human.

"Now we need you to dive into your Gear's consciousness. That place is called your 'mindscape', which is essentially a surface-level connection between your soul and your mind. Doing it the first time will be a bit strange, but you'll get used to it. Don't worry though, out here it'll just look like you zone out for a while." he said, earning a slight nod from the other man.

"So I just have to look inside myself, or something? I don't really know what I'm supposed to do here. Sounds like meditation, but it can't be that simple."

"Sort of. See that gem on the back of your Gear? That is the core of your Gear now that a majority of the Vritra Gears have been combined. Focus your mind on it, and you should feel a sort of _pull_ on your mind. Let it take you, and you'll end up in your mindscape." Azazel explained.

Tyson did as he was told, closing his eyes once more before focusing his attention on the magical energy being emitted from the core of his Gear. As Azazel mentioned, it felt like a whirlpool trying to suck him inside. He allowed it to do so, and when he next opened his eyes he was back in the dark place he remembered.

The dark serpent was much, _much _larger now, and it had a third eye upon the top of its head. Its eyes were closer to a violet color than red, which interested Tyson. Small, crystalline wings grew from a certain part of the creature's body. Tyson's examination was quickly halted when he realized...

It was awake, and staring directly at him.

"Uhh...hi?" he asked, nervously. The serpent tilted its head to the side slightly, eyes glowing in the darkness. Despite the lack of light, Tyson could see everything clearly.

Suddenly, the beast roared and black flames enveloped its body. Tyson stepped back in alarm, but it rapidly closed the distance between them with jaws wide. The man thought he was done for, since his legs refused to move. The last thing he saw before complete darkness were glowing eyes and razor sharp teeth that were larger than himself, as well as a rush of wind.

For a few moments, he could see absolutely nothing. The wind screamed past him at speeds that nearly knocked him off his feet. Then, it all vanished and he was met with darkness once more.

Another roar caught his attention, and Tyson turned to see the monstrosity behind him. He looked down at himself for a moment in shock. 'Didn't I just...die? There's no way I survived that...' he wondered to himself. The dragon roared in anger, thrashing about.

**["Why won't you die!? Is this the curse that damnable God placed upon me!?"] **a harsh voice laden with deep undertones yelled. It took Tyson only a second to realize that this was the voice of Vritra, evil dragon and one of the five dragon kings.

Tyson realized that, since this was his own mind, he was incapable of being harmed. Smirking, he looked at his tenant. "Seems like you can't kill me, eh?" he taunted, only causing the dragon to attempt another attack. The same happened as before, and Tyson stood unharmed as Vritra passed right through him as if he were an illusion.

Another roar, even more outraged than before. **["You're a fool if you think I will stay trapped inside of some weak little human for the rest of my life! I will find a way to end you and regain my freedom!"]** he yelled, causing Tyson to cross his arms.

"If that were possible, don't you think the Heavenly Dragons would have done it by now?" he asked, earning yet another roar of rage from the beast.

**["You **_**dare**_** speak of those two to me!? They are the reason I was sealed in the first place! If it weren't for them, I would have been free for the past three thousand years!"]**

Tyson raised an eyebrow. "You sure about that? I was told that you went on plenty of rampages and that's why you were sealed." he stated, and the dragon calmed down just enough to speak without roaring.

**["Those two were called the 'Heavenly Dragons' but they did nothing but fight like children! My pride as a dragon demanded that I prove myself superior than them so that I would make the title of Heavenly Dragon one of honor!"]** Vritra exclaimed. Tyson put a hand to his chin in thought.

"So basically you were jealous and wanted the attention that being a so-called 'Heavenly Dragon' would give you?" he asked and Vritra growled, an ominous sound that sent shivers down Tyson's spine despite being physically safe.

**["It was more than simple jealousy. Ddraig and Albion, the fools they were, cared for nothing besides their petty squabble. It wasn't even about strength to them, only the battle. Their destruction caught the attention of the Three Biblical Factions, and it led to our sealing."] **the dragon explained, coiling himself back into a relaxed state.

**["I, on the other hand, cared more for the hunt than mindless combat. Hunting prey was far more satisfying than defeating them in battle. Watching the life leave their eyes before I even showed myself was the most satisfying feeling."]** he chuckled, a deep rumble that shook the mindscape. Tyson was intrigued.

"So you weren't rampaging then, you were just hunting for fun?" he asked, and Vritra nodded his massive head.

**["Indeed. Regular prey had become boring, and I sought greater marks to enjoy my existence. Naturally, the members of the Three Factions fell into that category. The stronger members in particular were the most **_**delightful **_**kills I have ever had."]**

Tyson thought for moment. "So it's sort of like hunting a wild animal for humans. You do it for fun rather than to survive, and the more difficult the target the more exciting it is to succeed." he thought aloud. The dragon let out a hum of surprise.

**["Hoh? So you understand my reasons? I am genuinely intrigued by you, human. Even the other dragons considered my methods to be gratuitous slaughter."]** the Prison Dragon said, eyes lit up brighter for a moment as he moved his head closer to his host. He used his large snout to nudge the human, allowing him to examine the man's body fully.

Shaking away his nerves at suddenly being touched by the dragon, even if it was not with harmful intent, Tyson responded. "Sort of. I would need to have been there to really understand but for the most part, it sounds like you were just a victim of circumstance."

The dragon stared at him for nearly half a minute in silence, as if contemplating his options. Suddenly, he spoke. **["What is your name, human? If you are to be my jailor, I deserve the courtesy of a name."]**

"Tyson Solomon. Apparently I've gotten myself into a whole load of shit lately. Nice to meet you." the man said, confidently. The dragon belted out a laugh.

**["It seems we are alike in that regard! Allow me to properly introduce myself. I am Vritra, the Black Prison Dragon."]** he announced, proudly, before his tone became inquisitive. **["What is your goal, Solomon? What drives you in this life?"]**

The dragon's question left Tyson stupefied. He had been asked the same question by Vali not long ago, and he still did not have a true answer. He clenched his fists.

'If I'm going to figure out what happened to me, I'll need to get stronger one way or another. I don't know if I can ever get back home, or if I even want to, but I need to find out why I was brought here. If I find more people I care about along the way, I'll need to be strong enough to protect them from anything the supernatural world can throw at them.' he thought to himself, before clenching his fists in determination.

"My goal is to become the strongest there is. I have answers that I need to find, and people I need to protect. I intend to surpass everything, including the White Dragon Emperor and the Red Dragon Emperor." he said, resolutely, before smirking.

"Also, I just want to keep things interesting from now on." he finished his statement. Vritra laughed once more, the sound a deep rumble.

**["Haha! Well spoken, hatchling! I am beginning to think fate has tied me to you for a reason!"]** the dragon exclaimed, eyes gleaming with something that Tyson couldn't place. **["I suppose I shall lend you aid with utilizing my powers. I may not have been the strongest of the dragon kings, but my techniques were the most varied. It will take a quick mind and a predator's instinct to master them; do you think you can handle it?"]**

Tyson let out a quick laugh. "Ha! From prey to predator within weeks. Let's see how far we go, partner." he smiled confidently at his tenant, who chuckled.

**["Indeed. Let us return to reality for now. I will assist you with understanding my powers as we go."]** Vritra said, as a bright light began to envelop the area. Tyson relaxed and let himself be taken by the feeling.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes to see Azazel standing over him while writing notes. At seeing the younger man's consciousness return, the Governor smiled.

"Welcome back to the world of the living! After seeing your entire body burst into black flames, I was starting to fear the worst!" he exclaimed, laughing to himself. Tyson sat up before swinging his legs over the side of the operating table.

"How long was I out, doc?"

"Only about ten minutes. Were you successful?" he asked.

**["Successful in what, might I ask?"] **Vritra's voice emanated from Tyson's right hand, where a purple light shined. Azazel's eyes widened slightly but his smile was one of a researcher making a massive discovery.

"Ah, the Prison Dragon, it's a pleasure to see you awakened at last. We forcibly recombined several of the Sacred Gears holding your power in an attempt to wake you. It seems we were successful." the Governor explained, furiously writing something down in his notes.

**["I see. It seems you are not as useless as you once were, Azazel. Back then, you had just fallen from Heaven, had you not?"]**

This question caused the Governor to flinch, something which shocked Tyson greatly. "You're right, it was around that time..." the blond-banged man trailed off. The dragon within Tyson's hand chuckled.

**["Do not recall the bad memories, Governor. We were all mere children at one time, not too different from this human here. He is young, but possesses a strength of will that will take him far. I will simply guide him along the path to power."]**

Azazel smiled. "Well, you'll be a much better teacher than I ever was. He is using your power, after all." Tyson's stomach growled, and he blushed in embarrassment.

"What? You told me not to eat anything..."

Both Azazel and Vritra chuckled. "You're in luck, Tyson. Since everything went so smoothly, you can go out on the mission I had planned for you."

Tyson waved for the man to continue. "I just had my soul tinkered with, I think I can handle whatever you've got planned."

The Governor barked in laughter. "Ha! Perhaps you can! You see, it seems Kokabiel has been stealing pieces of Excalibur. Some of them were brought here to Kuoh, and we need to find out exactly what he's planning."

The American tilted his head to the side. "When you say 'Excalibur', do you mean the one with King Arthur that made him king, or whatever?"

**["Indeed. It is a holy sword without equal, capable of incredible things such as invisibility, illusions, enhanced strength and speed, as well as unrivaled slicing power."]** Vritra explained. Azazel shook his head.

"However, the sword was separated into seven pieces at some point after the Great War. The Church decided to split the fragments amongst the various denominations of Christianity for safekeeping. Only very rare people can wield the blades, leaving them more as fancy artifacts than weapons." the fallen angel clarified.

**["It was broken? Interesting. That blade was the bane of many during the Great War, so I am not upset about its loss."]** the dragon said.

"More importantly, I'll explain what's going on. Since you've been training here with those three all week, you may be out of the loop." he pointed at Tyson. "I need you to help stop Kokabiel from doing whatever he's planning here in Kuoh. I have a hunch he's trying to restart the war somehow on his own, but we should find out why he's stealing Excaliburs first."

"You want me to fight against someone nearly as strong as you? Even with Vritra, I doubt I stand much of a chance." Tyson said, crossing his arms and hopping down from the table.

"No, I don't plan on having you fight him yourself. I've received word that the Church sent some exorcists carrying Excalibur fragments here to fight him. It's suicide, and they know it. However, they got into a bit of an argument with little miss Gremory the other day. The Sekiryuutei, or Red Dragon Emperor, is currently meeting with those same exorcists in a cafe to form a temporary alliance. That's Issei, by the way."

Tyson gained look of recognition. "So _that's_ what that gauntlet of his was. I had no idea he would have something so powerful inside him this whole time."

Vritra, however, was not amused and scoffed. **["Based on your memories of the boy, he will fail to properly use Ddraig's power. Not only is he too weak, but he lacks the mental capacity to avoid the Juggernaut Drive."]**

Putting aside the fact that his tenant had sifted through his memories like a picture book, Tyson replied. "He's a moron, but I think he can handle it. If he actually _thinks_ for a bit, the kid is actually not bad." Vritra scoffed in a disbelieving way, but said nothing in response.

Azazel nodded. "Issei holds Y Ddraig Goch, the Red Dragon of Domination within the Boosted Gear. It has the ability to double his strength every ten seconds with the only limit being the wielder's stamina. If Issei becomes strong enough to handle it, he could boost his power far beyond the realm of gods."

Mouth open in surprise, Tyson whistled. "Wow, talk about a powerhouse. Kind of scary to think a massive pervert has the potential to fight gods, don't you think?"

The Governor laughed. "He'll keep things interesting, for sure. Anyway, I want you to go make sure everything goes smoothly. If I know anything about Issei, and I'm fairly certain I know a lot, he'll go charging in fist first. Assist them if necessary. You're the most mature out of all of them, so they'll hopefully listen to you." he said before putting one hand in his pocket casually.

Tyson nodded. "Sure. Doesn't hurt that I can grab a bite to eat while I'm there. When do I leave?"

"Right now, actually. Get going, I'll give you the coordinates for the teleportation."

Azazel created a teleportation circle beneath Tyson's feet, giving him a lazy, two-finger salute as the man vanished. He reappeared in an alley behind a large dumpster.

'I guess this is a bit less conspicuous than appearing in the middle of the streets. I may as well look for the kids.' he thought to himself, putting his hands in his pockets and emerging from the alley.

"Oh Lord, have mercy on these kind souls even if they are devils!" an orange haired girl prayed as she hungrily devoured the meal in front of her. The three devils present clutched their heads in pain at the mention of God.

"For the love of thick thighs, we don't need his damn blessing!" Issei shouted in response.

"Oh, sorry! It's kind of a habit." the girl said, only half-serious about her apology.

A blue haired woman with a single bang colored green shook her head and downed her glass of water. "Well, what's the deal? What did you want to talk to us about?" she asked with a glare.

Issei leaned forward in his seat, encouraging the two women to do the same. "We want to help you destroy Excalibur." he whispered. The bluenette hardened her glare.

"What?"

Suddenly, one of the devils felt an unusual sensation. It was as if he was being pulled in a specific direction by his hand, but nobody was pulling him. A man with long, dark hair and an extremely fit build entered the cafe before spotting them and approaching.

Saji Genshirou was known for many things. He was perverted but not unnecessarily so, he was a hard worker, and he cared for his friends. However, he had never felt a _literal_ pull toward another man before. He was Sona Sitri's pawn, and another wielder of one of Vritra's Sacred Gears: the Absorption Line.

Thus, he was stunned into silence as the pull became stronger the closer the man became. Once he was standing at the end of their booth, he had to fight the urge to grab his hand in his own.

"Yo, I heard you guys could use some help." the man said, hands in his pockets and holding a relaxed stance. Issei's eyes lit up, and Koneko's narrowed dangerously.

"Tyson! You're back!" he exclaimed, loudly. Saji, along with the two exorcist women, stared at him in surprise and confusion. However, a certain bluenette couldn't help her blush. She had always found the male body fascinating, especially those with large muscles and a confident personality. This man in front of her was the depiction of nearly every fantasy she had ever imagined, and her isolation in the Church became more obvious.

"Sure am, kiddo. A little bird told me you guys are trying to do something stupid, so he asked me to lend a helping hand." Tyson remarked with a smile before his gaze dropped to the extraordinary number of empty plates and bowls lying upon the table. He chuckled. "Seems like someone beat me to the feast. I'll just order something for myself the next time the waitress comes by."

"Who are you?" Irina asked, head tilted cutely to the side. Issei smiled at her.

"This is Tyson Solomon! He's a good friend of mine. We met when he was saving my life a while back. He's been living with me ever since."

"Your life was in danger, Issei? What happened!?" she asked, gasping. Issei averted his eyes and his expression dimmed. "I really don't want to talk about that right now, if you don't mind." he mumbled.

The young woman's expression mirrored his. "I'm sorry. Oh Lord, bless this man for saving my friend Issei's life!" she prayed, once again causing the devils to cry out in pain.

The bluenette woman noticed the distinct _lack_ of pain on the man's face. She cocked her head to the side curiously. "You're not one of them?" she asked, earning a shake of the head.

"Nah, Gremory tried but I wasn't interested. I've got too much on my plate to be playing devils and angels right now." he replied flippantly.

Saji decided to speak up. "You...do you have a Sacred Gear?" he asked, nervously. Tyson examined the boy for a moment. He was lanky with wild, dirty blond hair and a slim build.

**['The boy has one of my other pieces! We must destroy him and take it for ourselves!']** Vritra yelled inside of Tyson's mind. He ignored it and instead chose to narrow his eyes at the boy.

"Yeah. Same as yours, sort of. Vritra says you have one of his pieces." he stated casually, causing the boy as well as the other devils to widen their eyes in shock.

"Y-you can talk with the dragon king!?" the boy stammered, sweating slightly in his chair. Tyson nodded, creating a small barrier that would keep people's attention away from their table so they could keep their discussion private.

"Come on out. You had something you wanted to tell him, didn't you?" he asked his right hand, which glowed purple before a deep voice came from it.

**["So this is one of my other wielders? Am I to be shamed not once by being sealed, not twice by being split into pieces, but **_**three**_** times by being stuck in weaklings!?"] **the dragon roared, catching everyone off guard. Tyson sighed at his tenant's frustration.

"Don't worry, he can't do anything in there. He's been pissed since he woke up, but he'll chill out eventually. Can't blame him though, he's been asleep for thousands of years."

"Uh...huh..." the blond boy deadpanned. "How did you manage to wake him up in the first place? I've only seen a few dreams of Vritra, but he was always asleep." he said.

Tyson crossed his arms. "I have three of Vritra's Gears. Yours is the Absorption Line, right? It's the last known one. Each one has a piece of both his power and his soul, so he needed more than one in a single host to wake up." he explained.

"Anyway, we were talking about breaking a few swords, right?" he said, bringing the conversation back on track. Issei decided to take over from there.

"That's right. You're trying to keep them out of the fallen angels' hands, and we're trying to get our friend Kiba to let go of his hatred of Excaliburs. Since our objective is basically the same, it makes sense that we could work together." he declared, and the bluenette across the table from him thought for a few moments before nodding.

"I understand the situation. We can afford to let you take care of one sword." she said, prompting the orangette to let out a small cry of surprise. "Wait a minute, Xenovia! But they're, like, devils!"

Xenovia, the bluenette, turned toward her companion. "Kokabiel is dangerous, and our chances of returning home alive are small. We can't do this on our own, Irina. We knew this was a suicide mission when we got it from the higher ups." Irina looked down, depressed.

"Hey hey, no need to get so down! Nobody here is dying anytime soon, so take it easy." Tyson reassured them, bringing a bit of hope into the exorcist's eyes.

Issei nodded at him as Koneko continued drinking her fruity drink through a straw, not contributing to the conversation in the slightest. However, her eyes were still narrowed whenever she looked at Tyson.

"So here's what we need to do. We'll go find Kiba so he can join us, then we go search for the Excaliburs. We can split into two groups, and contact each other when we find something." Issei laid out his plan. It was a simple one, but sometimes simplicity is necessary.

The two exorcists agreed to the plan, and the group talked casually amongst themselves as Tyson ordered a full meal and polished it off within seconds. Dabbing his mouth with a napkin, everyone stared gobsmacked as a three-course meal _vanished_ before their eyes.

It took until sundown before Kiba was found, standing by a large fountain. He held an aggravated expression, crossing his arms and glaring at everyone including his comrades.

"Why would exorcists be okay with destroying an Excalibur?" he asked, suspiciously. Xenovia closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"If we're fighting who we think we are, there's no way we can do it on our own. We're willing to let you break an Excalibur if it means keeping them out of fallen angel hands." she reasoned, crossing her arms.

Kiba narrowed his eyes. "Fine. What's the plan, Issei?" he asked, turning to his comrade. The boy explained the simple plan to his friend before the swordsman nodded.

"Actually, I have a better idea..." he smirked.

After an hour, the devils, Tyson, and the exorcists were all clothed in priest robes. Although Irina couldn't hold in her laughter at the irony, they all agreed to the idea when Kiba had explained how Freed Selzen was focused on attacking Church members.

After that, they had split into two groups: Tyson would go with Xenovia and Irina, and the group of devils would be their own group. Koneko seemed uncomfortable with the arrangements, but said nothing in protest. Tyson's eyes widened slightly as the bluenette swordswoman warned Issei that 'The White Dragon has awakened'. It was obvious by now that he knew exactly what that meant, but the American stayed silent.

It was 9:00pm by this point, and the sun had long vanished beyond the horizon. Tyson, along with the exorcists, were walking down a path on the west side of town. The other group had decided to take the east.

As they walked, Irina struck up a conversation to keep the boredom at bay. "So Tyson, tell us a bit more about yourself! Issei never mentioned you when we met up yesterday." she requested, and the man tilted his head downward to look in her direction.

"There's not a lot to tell. I'm just a guy with a Sacred Gear who got stuck in all this supernatural stuff against his will. Hell, Japan on its own was weird enough without all the magic and craziness going on." he explained, and Xenovia looked up at him.

"You're American, right? How did you end up here?" she asked, curiously. Her golden brown eyes were much larger when she wasn't glaring at someone.

Tyson scratched his cheek. "Believe it or not, I got teleported here or something from America. No idea who did it though, I'm still working on figuring that part out. You should have seen my homeless ass the day I got here. Couldn't speak Japanese and all I had were sweatpants and a tank top. No money, no food, no home. As sad as it is, I'm glad Issei got into trouble that day. Otherwise, I'd probably have starved to death long ago."

As he finished his story, Irina frowned. "He never did say what happened to him. He said you saved his life, but what did he mean?" she asked, cautiously. Tyson shook his head.

"It's not really my story to tell. Give him some more time and he'll tell you himself. He's a good kid. Not the brightest, but he's got a good heart." he responded.

The bluenette looked him up and down. Despite wearing very conservative church-wear, Tyson's strong body was clearly visible by his broad shoulders and strong chest. "How old are you anyway, Tyson? You seem much more mature than most people." she pointed out. The man in question chuckled.

"I'm twenty five glorious years old. Getting close to twenty six in the next couple of months, assuming time is the same here as it was back home. According to the calendars, I'm actually from seven years in the future. It was the year 2020 back home." he mentioned, earning a shocked look from both exorcists.

"Y-you're from the future!? What's the future like? Does God come back? Do we live in space? What kinds of food do we eat!?" Irina rapidly fired her questions at him, to which he laughed openly.

"I wasn't aware of the supernatural back home, so there's always the possibility that this is some other dimension entirely. It's one of the many answers I'm looking for, but I've got absolutely nothing to work with just yet. Assuming that we're both from the same world but I just traveled through time, the world is pretty much the exact same on the human side. Political strife, murders in the streets daily, education becoming a joke, the usual in America." he said, earning another surprised look from the two girls.

"You're serious?..." Xenovia asked, incredulously as she saw that he didn't stutter once. He nodded. "At least one school would be attacked by someone every few weeks. It was always over the news and politicians used it to try to gain more voters, but nothing ever got done. They just spun their damn wheels until the next mass shooting happened, then it would start over."

They talked casually for a short while before Xenovia devised a plan. "We're not finding anything this way; there's too much ground to cover. We should split up but stay somewhat close by in case something happens. Tyson, do you have a phone?" she asked, looking at the taller man. He nodded, pulling his cell phone from inside of his robe. She swiped it from his grasp before quickly entering something and handing it back.

"There, now you have both of our numbers. If anything happens to you, call both of us. We'll do the same if something happens to one of us." she ordered before they all dispersed.

Several hours later, Tyson had wandered around aimlessly with no success whatsoever. He had conversed briefly with Vritra regarding what he thought of the world as it was, but was met with fairly pessimistic and frustrated answers. The Prison Dragon, it seems, is very good at holding a grudge.

At nearly midnight, Xenovia sent a text saying that the devil group had encountered Freed Selzen. She told them to meet up near the south side of town, near an old ruin of a church.

He sprinted as fast as his legs would allow, eventually arriving at the ruins to see everyone else already there. The crazed exorcist was currently locking swords with Xenovia, who held her large and unruly looking sword with unnatural strength for her size. The blade curved outward after the guard until it appeared more like an ax than a sword. The guard itself was bladed, giving it an extremely aggressive appearance.

"You filthy traitors! I'll condemn your souls in the name of our God!" Xenovia declared, a holy aura gathering around her blade. Tyson felt a strange warmth from the power, but he shivered nonetheless. Freed matched her aura with his own, channeling it into his unusual looking sword. It was as large as Xenovia's, but it had large spines protruding from the back of the blade. This made it only good for slicing on one side.

"How dare you say that! Don't you ever throw that disgusting name in my face ever again!" he screamed maniacally. Suddenly, Kiba leaped over the bluenette's head before swiping at the rogue exorcist, who managed to break the blade lock and dodge backward at the last moment to land beside an old man.

"You're done, Freed." the old man said, earning a shocked look from the exorcist. "All you had to do was get rid of the vermin from the Church who had snuck in. Easy. But there they are with holy swords, and you're outnumbered. It's time to pull back."

A slightly disappointed but no less crazed look appeared on Freed's face. "Aw, so soon? Oh well." he pulled a small capsule from his robe before throwing it onto the ground. "Smell ya later!" he shouted, as the capsule burst into a bright light that forced everyone to cover their eyes long enough for the two to escape.

Kiba and Xenovia immediately gave chase along with Irina, and Issei attempted to follow but he stumbled. He was obviously struggling from using his Boosted Gear past his limits. "What's the matter, why aren't we going after them!?" he asked, frantically.

Tyson then saw two teleportation circles appear behind their group; one of them was a crimson red while the other was a pale blue color. From the red circle, Rias and Akeno appeared. From the blue one, two black haired women came into view.

"Buchou!" cried Issei.

"Kaichou (Chairwoman)!" exclaimed Saji.

"Goodness, what have you gotten yourselves into now? I'm sure it's quite the _lively_ story, and I can't wait to hear it. You _will_ explain it to me, won't you Issei?" Rias asked, tone far too sweet considering the look on her face that said otherwise.

"Saji, you'd better have a good excuse for this." one of the black haired women said. She turned her attention to the outlier of their group, Tyson, before returning it to her servant.

Both men screamed like little girls in fright, and Tyson failed to fight the urge to facepalm. Apparently, this was more important than following their friends who may be in danger.

"Since you guys are so busy freaking out over your girlfriends, I'll go follow those three. Gotta make sure they don't get into trouble." he said before turning and sprinting into the deeper part of the forest in pursuit of the three swordsmen.

Sona turned to her fellow devil heiress and asked. "Rias, who was that man?"

Rias pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. "A pain in the ass, that's who."

Tyson searched throughout the entire forest, but even with his ability to sense magical energy, he was unable to find even a speck of energy from any of the swordsmen. After another hour of searching, he decided to get some rest, assuming that the others did as well. His phone had died, so he was unable to send a text message to Xenovia and Irina to check if they were alright. 'If only there were some kind of magic to charge a phone battery...'

When he returned home, he was _graced_ with the sight of both Rias and Asia, the blonde nun, clothed in absolutely nothing besides an apron. Issei looked like he was exhausted as he sat on the couch, trying his best to not stare at the two women in the kitchen lest he die from overstimulation.

Rias had taken the opportunity to attempt to seduce Tyson, who merely rolled his eyes at her. She huffed, crossing her arms under her massive breasts and pouting. The older man ignored her completely, going directly upstairs without eating anything and putting himself to sleep within minutes of colliding with his bed.

Issei had smiled at his older brother figure, noticing how the man failed to react to his master's charms. 'Even though Buchou keeps trying to get his attention, Tyson ignores her. It's like he knows that I...' he trailed off. '...like her.' he finished his thought, overcoming his first hurdle since the incident with Raynare.

He had been completely unable to admit his feelings for anyone ever since, other than his brotherly feelings for Tyson. The trauma was still, even a month later, too fresh in his mind to let go of.

The next day came and went, and none of them had heard a word from either of the exorcists or Kiba. Tyson was starting to get worried. Since he was still on a mission, he had no obligation to visit Grigori for the day. And thus, he planned to stay at home, zoned into his mindscape to speak with his resident dragon king for a majority of the day.

"So you're saying I have not only your black flames, but your ability to manipulate shadows and negate magical energies as well?" he asked, laying on his bed with his hands behind his head.

**["Yes. All of these are the products of many years of hunting. The flames are more for direct conflict, while the shadow manipulation and magic deletion fields are for debilitating my opponents both before and during a fight. If used tactically, they can give you an extreme edge against nearly any opponent."]** the dragon explained, before continuing his lecture.

**["The last power that you currently lack is the Absorption Line, which can bind and drain a target of stamina, blood, and magical energy. It is the most effective means of ending a fight non-lethally, or simply for catching prey."]** he laughed, recalling some of his more exciting hunts.

"Interesting...you'll have to teach me the basics of how those other two work. I'm used to the flames at this point, but I'm no expert with them. They always felt so slow to respond to my commands."

**["That should no longer be a concern now that I am here to assist in controlling your powers. Go to your training room in the fallen headquarters and I will show you."]**

Tyson did as requested, creating a teleportation circle and appearing within training room 8. It was empty, since it was primarily used as a personal practice room for new recruits. Because of how few (see: nonexistent) recruits there were, he pretty much had free reign of the room whenever he wanted.

Doing a few quick stretches to loosen his muscles, Tyson spoke aloud. "Alright Vritra, you said this would be easier right? Let's give this a shot." he said as he created a ball of black flames in his right hand without even summoning his Sacred Gear. He was surprised as the flames burned hotter and followed his commands without question, as if this was something he could always do.

**["These flames are cursed, but the curse is not something that is constantly active. You have to pump your energy into them in a specific manner to activate the curse, but once you do, they will become deadly to any being besides the most holy of the Angels. It takes a significant amount of energy to do so, however, so I do not recommend cursing all of your opponents with eternal damnation."]** Vritra tutored him on the lesser known facts about his powers, causing Tyson to chuckle.

"Don't worry, I didn't really plan to. That seems a bit like overkill to me." he said as he manipulated the flame in his ease, causing it to change shape and size into all sorts of things. He smiled as he managed to manipulate the fireball without using his hands at all, spinning it around himself like a planet would orbit its sun.

However, when he reattempted to mold the flames into a weapon of solid form, Vritra questioned him. **["What are you trying to do with that flame?"]** he asked, curious.

"I'm trying to make a sword out of it, or something solid. You know how light can have solid form? I'm trying to compress the flames in the same way, but they're too wild to stay together." he explained as he gave up, allowing the flame to recede into its natural state of a fireball.

The dragon hummed in thought for a few seconds. **["Hmm, you may find that more difficult than you expect. Fire is not an element known for its ability to take solid form, as it has little reason to. Any other element would be more efficient and effective in doing so, even if it were possible."]**

Tyson thought for a few moments, trying to recall what little he remembered from his science classes back in University. 'Fire is just heat, fuel, and oxygen that are combining to make a flame. As long as there's oxygen to burn, the heat should sustain itself enough to continue burning. I'm not sure if that translates directly over to magic, but the concept should be similar, right?'

'So the heat part isn't a problem. The problem lies with generating enough 'fuel', in this case that would probably be magical energy, and having enough oxygen to sustain the flame. But how to give it a solid form?...' he pondered, and Vritra was intrigued by his host's thoughts.

**["If I may give a suggestion."]** the dragon offered, and Tyson nodded mentally. **["Perhaps you are looking at this incorrectly. Giving fire a 'solid' form is impossible simply because it defies how the flame functions. However, perhaps it doesn't **_**need**_** an actual solid form but the same **_**function**_** as a solid form."]** he said, causing the man to put his hand to his chin in thought.

'The same function as a solid, in this case it would be like cutting right? There are lasers used for cutting that just burn really hot. Maybe I could use the same concept?' he wondered, smiling as he got an idea.

"Okay partner, I need to make these flames as hot as they can possibly get. Hot enough to melt something just by being near it for an instant. Can you help me with that?" he asked, earning a scoff from his tenant.

**["Of course, something like that is child's play for a dragon of my caliber."]**

Deciding to put everything he has into this new technique, Tyson summoned his Sacred Gear and created a spear shape using his flame. He slowly began channeling as much power as he possibly could into the flame's heat, causing it to flicker dangerously and emit an unnatural noise that sounded like the air nearby was vibrating from the sheer amount of energy.

After several minutes of pouring his strength into the flame, Tyson was shocked as the 'spear' he had created had a white core which burned at an intensity that scorched the ground it floated above. Tyson himself was sweating bullets from the dangerous technique and his clothes stuck to his body like glue.

"We...we did it! *huff* We created a spear made of fire!" he cheered for himself, and Vritra laughed openly. **["Hahahaha! Indeed, we did! Such a technique is about as inefficient as they get, but its destructive power is undeniable! Go on, throw your new ability against the wall and see the results of your imagination!"]**

"Right! Here I go, _haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"_ Tyson roared as he grasped the weapon within his hand, burning it horribly in the process, before throwing it forward like a javelin. It soared through the air like a railgun, leaving a trail of burning ozone wherever it traveled.

Suddenly, it collided with the wall of the training room and detonated. The resulting explosion caused the entire room, nay, the entire _building_ to shake as the entirety of the accumulated energy released itself. Black and white flames both flared erratically from the point of impact, coating the whole room in a thick layer of dark flames and blotting out the lights. The white flames, as they cooled, became black once again. The blast of wind from the explosion literally blew Tyson off his feet and threw him into the wall behind him. The sound of crackling flames was the only thing Tyson could feel until he opened his eyes and was appalled at the result of his attack.

The entire wall of the training room was _gone_.

Sirens blared throughout the room, and it only took moments for Azazel, flanked by two other men, to appear via teleportation circle. The first had short, white hair, a slender face, and an average build. The second had the complete opposite; a powerful, broad-shouldered and muscled build with a strong jawline and a short black beard.

Azazel glanced between the young man sitting against the wall and the opposite, _missing_ wall of the training room. The wall behind the man was severely cracked as if he had collided with it at high speeds. Black flames covered the majority of the room, slowly flickering out as their power was exhausted.

The Governor walked up to Tyson and nudged him with his foot. "I know I told you this room was basically yours to play around in, but if I had known you were capable of something like _this_ I would have had it reinforced myself. Look what you did! All of Grigori is in chaos because of you!" he exclaimed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Tyson was hyperventilating as his exhaustion hit him in the face like a truck, barely able to catch his breath before the next one was forced into his lungs. "Sorry." he smiled as he managed to say that with absolutely no regret in his tone.

Azazel began to laugh. "So, how did you do it!? I knew you'd get stronger with Vritra awake, but this far exceeded my expectations!" he asked, excitedly. Tyson would have joined the other two men in sweatdropping if he had the energy left to do so.

The white-haired man approached the remnants of the wall, examining them closely. "It seems he used some kind of fire based attack. The edges of the wall that remain are melted completely, so whatever attack he used must have been incredibly hot indeed. These walls may not have had the strongest magical reinforcement available, but his attack not only shattered those spells but destroyed a steel wall as well."

Azazel smiled at his fellow fallen. "Thank you Shemhazai, I realized that part early on. What I want to know is what the attack itself was. Something of that caliber is much more than any normal human could create."

That statement earned the attention of the final man in the room. "This boy is just a human?" he asked, incredulously. The large man crossed his arms over his broad chest, staring Tyson down. "Either he is not who he says he is, he is exceptionally gifted, or incredibly _stupid_ for feeding all of his energy into a single attack. My guess, based on his condition, is that he chose the third option."

"Ah Baraqiel, an excellent observation as well. Tyson here is indeed just a human with a Sacred Gear, but he has the dragon king, Vritra to help him facilitate the energy needed to create the technique." Azazel replied.

By now, Tyson had regained his breath and his heart began to beat more regularly once more. "Yeah that's about right. Vritra said him being awake would allow a lot more control over my abilities, so I wanted to test them out. I must have gotten carried away when I started applying human science concepts to magical powers and this is what happened." he said, causing both Azazel and Shemhazai to look at him in interest.

The fallen waved him to continue explaining. "I thought, 'how can I create a sword made of these flames?', but fire can't just become a solid like that. Even in magical form, it simply doesn't work that way. It'll just turn out as a really dense cloud of fire that will dissipate against anything it can't burn. So Vritra mentioned creating an ability with the same _function_ as a sword but not actually being a solid. My mind went to cutting lasers, which are really just lots of heat condensed into a very small space in order to burn effectively."

Azazel rubbed his chin in thought with a wide smile on his face. "So you superheated the flames and condensed them until they could instantly melt whatever they came into contact with?" he guessed, earning a nod from the younger man. "Fascinating. A complete waste of your energy to do it, but the results speak for themselves. A technique like that could probably annihilate anything less than a high class devil, fallen, or angel instantly, or deal significant damage to something higher than that. I myself wouldn't take much damage from it, nor would either of these two, but we _are_ cadre-class for a reason."

Tyson hummed in agreement. "It took almost five minutes of charging the flames to get the heat and everything to the right point, so it wouldn't work in a real fight. Plus, it took every ounce of energy I had. Not a good combination, so all it really turned out to be was a glorified firework show." he concluded, slightly upset and how unfeasible the move was for combat. "In the end, it was a failure. I was aiming for piercing power rather than explosive. If it had pierced right through the wall and the barrier and gone outside, I would have been more satisfied."

Baraqiel nodded. "At least you know better than to rely on flashy techniques that don't work. If you wish to use that same concept on a smaller scale, I would suggest trying to maximize the efficiency of upping the temperature of your flames first. After that, you can work on the condensing part by taking a regular flame and attempting to do the same thing. Trying to do both at once, as you did here, is like trying to force water through a pipe that's rusted and has holes that allow the water to leak everywhere you don't want it to go." the man suggested, earning a nod of approval from Azazel.

"I agree. That's one hell of a technique you've created, but you're just not quite there yet to make it work. But it's like they say, 'Rome wasn't built in a day'. This power of yours has serious potential that only _you_ can make, so take it and make it your own. I'm sure you'll be much more proud of yourself when you don't burn yourself out doing it once." he laughed, and Tyson joined him before standing on shaky legs with assistance from Baraqiel.

"Thanks. And, uh, sorry about the wall...and the explosion, and all that...yeah." he nervously chuckled, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. Azazel merely laughed while Baraqiel smiled. Shemhazai, meanwhile, was fretting over the costs to repair the wall and scheduling someone to reinforce it with magic once again.

Tyson, in his excitement, had completely forgotten that he had two other abilities he had wanted to use for the first time.

Vritra watched his host with intrigue. **['Interesting,'] **he thought to himself, **["The boy has had my power for less than a month, and he is capable of such destruction. And as a human, no less. Imagine his power if was born a dragon...']** the evil dragon wondered, imagining a version of himself throwing weapons made of pure shadowfire at his opponents before chuckling.

**['Oh yes, that would be the day...']**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey everyone! Have another chapter! It's a big one, so it took a bit longer, but I personally liked writing this one. Lots of variety. Tell me what you think!**

"Hello" - Words

'Hello' - Thoughts

_Hello_ \- Emphasis

**Hello **\- Abilities/Magic spells

**["Hello"]** \- Heavenly Dragon voice

**['Hello'] **\- Heavenly Dragon thoughts

**Feel free to review!**

The rest of the day came and went without incident for Tyson, since he spent the majority of it learning how to use his new powers. Vritra was very vague in his explanations, allowing the man the freedom to find the most effective way of understanding his capabilities himself.

Currently, Tyson was jumping between different shadows in his room at home. One of his new Sacred Gear abilities, Shadow Prison, allowed him to freely manipulate shadows. He was told that the most basic form of its power was to create and enter a shadow, but it also allowed him to create weapons made of shadows. Vritra had proudly boasted that chains made of shadows were nearly impossible to escape.

He had struggled to practice with his Delete Field, since he lacked a target to drain magical energy from. He could feel himself get energized whenever he used it on something, but until he had a practice partner he wouldn't know for sure. Additionally, he still required physical contact in order to use the ability at all. For now, it was generally unhelpful in most situations.

Tyson's phone rang, and he exited the dresser's shadow before walking to pick it up. As he noticed the caller ID, he frowned slightly.

"Hello? This is Tyson." he responded, knowing only a select few people had his phone number. Issei and his parents, Azazel, Rias, Irina, Xenovia, and most curiously, Mittelt were the only people who had ever exchanged numbers with him.

"Tyson, this is Rias. We have an update. We just found Irina, and things aren't looking good." she said, cryptically. "Come to the clubroom, quickly. We're getting ready to head out."

The man's expression darkened. 'I knew I should have kept looking yesterday! If Kokabiel shows up, who knows what he'll do.' he thought angrily, before ending the call without a response and creating a teleportation circle.

Appearing in the ORC clubroom, he noticed all of Gremory's peerage minus Kiba. They turned and looked at his arrival but before they could say anything, Rias began.

"We sent out our familiars to look for Kiba and the other two. After most of the day, they managed to find Irina. I was told she's in bad shape, so let's go now. I have the coordinates." she said, prompting a nod from everyone. A quick teleportation later, they were standing along a path on the east side of town. The sun was beginning to set, casting the motionless body of Irina Shidou in an orange light, being held by Rias's familiar.

Tyson noticed that it was the same cosplay woman who handed him a summoning card, and scowled slightly as the scenario started to make sense. 'She knew all along that something would happen, and she gave us each a summoning circle to take advantage of us at our lowest! I can't believe her!' he fumed in his mind. His scowl was unnoticed by anyone else, as they were preoccupied with the injured woman.

"Irina!" Issei ran over to her before lifting her slightly off the ground and cradling her in his arms. She managed to open her eyes slightly before cringing as the pain flared up again. Her body was covered in cuts and bruises, and her black combat suit was torn severely.

"Asia!" he called, and the blonde nun ran up before using her Sacred Gear to heal the chestnut haired woman.

"Can you hear me? What happened!? Where are Kiba and Xenovia!?" Issei asked, frantically. Irina managed to open her eyes fully.

"They managed to get away...I let them down, but he was too strong..." she whispered, pain evident in her voice.

"Who was too strong!?" he pleaded, before the woman passed out from her injuries.

Another teleportation circle appeared behind the group before a small number of teenagers emerged. Rias turned toward them and gave a small smile. "Thank you so much for coming, Sona." she said.

"Of course. I came right after I received your message." the short black-haired woman from before approached before kneeling down beside Irina. "The damage is pretty bad, isn't it?"

Asia nodded. "Twilight Healing isn't strong enough to restore lost stamina. I'm sorry." she mumbled.

"It's okay. I have everything we need to treat her at my house. Tsubaki." she called and a taller black-haired woman stepped forward. "Right." she responded, before effortlessly lifting the orangette in her arms and disappearing into a summoning circle.

The woman known as Sona Sitri turned toward the only non-devil present. "It's you again." she remarked, earning the man's attention which was currently staring daggers at the ground.

"Tyson. Don't we have more important shit to do right now?" he asked, irritated. Sona narrowed her eyes at him, but sighed.

"You're right. I'm Sona Sitri, a devil like Rias."

Tyson's glare intensified for a moment before receding. Suddenly, some of the devils clutched their chests in pain.

"Well well would you lookie what we have here? If it isn't the 'we all took the bait' club?" the sarcastic voice of Freed Selzen appeared along with his body, but now he was holding a larger blade in a sheath. "So many damn devils to kill!"

"Damn it, I knew it was you!" Issei called out, before Rias and Sona front-flipped over him to land between Issei and Freed. They immediately readied a magic circle, probably for some offensive spell.

"Woah woah, don't shoot the messenger! There's someone who wants to talk to you!" Freed pleaded, completely nonplussed by their threat.

"What kind of 'someone'?" asked Rias, narrowing her eyes.

Freed's expression showed his madness once again before he looked up. "My boss!"

Everyone noticed the sky darkening first, then the ten-winged figure that floated above them all. He had pale skin and blood red eyes, as well as long elf-like ears and fangs. His expression seemed constantly angry, as shown by his angular forehead.

Koneko sniffed once. "Fallen angel." she concluded.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, daughter of Gremory. I am Kokabiel." the man said with a deep voice.

Rias stepped forward. "I assure you, the pleasure is all mine. It's nice to finally put a face to the name." she said, confidently.

Kokabiel snickered. "Your crimson hair is quite remarkable, just like that red-headed devil king. It's positively _nauseating_."

"Thank you. Now can we get down to business, or are you just here to admire my appearance?"

"I think I'll do a little damage here before moving on to the rest of the city. If his precious sister is in danger, Sirzechs will have to come out of hiding. What do you think?" he said, grinning and showing off his razor sharp teeth.

Rias's expression darkened and her eyes narrowed again. "If you do that, you'll restart the war between God, devils and the fallen angels." she said, earning a chuckle from the cadre-class fallen.

"It would be more than I got after stealing those useless Excaliburs, that's for sure. I could have sworn Michael himself would come after me, but all they sent were a few measly exorcists and two pathetic holy sword users. Honestly, it was disappointing."

Akeno let out a small cry of surprise. "You mean that was your goal all along? You actually want to restart the war?"

"Yes, _YES!_ After the first three-way ended, I was so bored. There was nothing to do! Azazel and Shemhazai were being so passive about when the next one would start!" he responded, eyes glowing red in the darkness.

Tyson narrowed his eyes. 'So this guy really was behind everything with Raynare. He sounds just like how Azazel described him. Better let him know he's here so we don't get killed.' he thought to himself before subtly whipping out his phone and sending a quick message before stowing it away.

"You do know that's a terrible idea, right?" Tyson asked, crossing his arms and drawing the cadre's attention. "If you start a war with only some of the fallen angels on your side, you're basically fucked."

Kokabiel laughed. "Haha! And who do you think you are, little human? You're just an insect compared to me!"

Tyson chuckled right back at him. "Be careful where you throw words like 'insect' out, you might regret them later." he said, earning another bout of laughter from the pale man.

"Big talk for such a small man! When the battle starts, I'll be sure to have plenty of _fun_ with you! Speaking of which, there's a magic circle over that precious school of yours which will explode at sundown! You'd better call the devil king here if you want to survive!" he yelled, maniacally.

Rias stepped forward. "You're actually a warmonger, aren't you? We can handle you without my brother's help." The redhead failed to notice her Queen with a small communication circle next to her ear. Tyson and Akeno locked eyes before sharing a quick smirk.

"Oooo I love it when he lets his psychotic side out, don't you!?" Freed exclaimed, gaining an insane look to match his tone. "I'm starting to get excited about war too! And look, I've even brought new toys!" he said, opening up his robe to show three additional weapons of unique shape and size.

"Those are all holy swords. Excaliburs." Koneko stated, flatly, earning a shocked look from all the devils present.

"Aww don't seem so sad, daughter of the devil king. What do you think, nice day for a _war isn't it!?_" Kokabiel shouted, summoning small spears of light before firing them toward the ground. Rias and Sona created magical circles to block them, but each strike from a spear caused an explosion the size of a hand grenade.

The smoke cleared and Kokabiel was nowhere to be found. The sky had returned to its usual orange color as the darkness from the fallen angel receded.

"Where did he go? I can't see where he went!" Saji exclaimed, looking around. Koneko pointed toward the horizon.

"There. He's headed toward the Academy."

Rias ground her teeth before walking toward her school. Her peerage plus Tyson and Sona followed. Within a short time, they were located right outside of the gates of Kuoh Academy. Sona's entire peerage showed up before they combined their strength to create a barrier around the school. Said black haired woman turned her head toward her red-headed friend.

"Rias, you know that there's still time to contact your brother. You know that he would come here as soon as you asked. You _know_ that he would want to assist us." she said, earning a smile from Rias.

"I happened to notice you haven't made any attempt at calling your sister, either."

Akeno stepped forward. "There's no need. I've already contacted Sirzechs." she said. Rias turned to her Queen with an angry expression.

"Akeno! How could you do something like that without asking first!?" she demanded, arms crossed.

"Kokabiel is a cadre-class fallen angel. He's someone we can't handle on our own; admit it."

"Fine..." Rias sighed. "I really can't win against you, can I?"

"Nope. Sirzechs and his forces should arrive here within about an hour." she said, smiling innocently.

"Should be a fun hour." Rias responded.

Tyson glared at the back of the Gremory girl's head. 'She wanted us to take on someone _this_ powerful ourselves!? Is she crazy or just stupid!?' he thought, angrily. 'I'm glad I contacted Azazel already, or this would have been a shitshow!'

They walked inside of the barrier and entered the school grounds to see the old man from before standing in front of four floating swords. A circle of bright light was funneling power between the four weapons.

"It seems Valper has succeeded, and the four Excalibur are to become one." the group looked up to see the warmonger sitting atop a floating throne with his head resting on his hand lazily. "Is big brother on his way yet? Or will it be Serafall instead?"

"For now, we're the ones ready to fight. That's enough, isn't it?" Rias asked. Kokabiel merely smiled and snapped his fingers, summoning a massive spear of light that flew toward the gymnasium. Upon impact, an enormous explosion shook the air as the building was leveled in an instant.

Issei mumbled to himself as the voice of Ddraig responded to him. Tyson looked at the devastation and summoned his Blaze Black Flare.

'Vritra, you think we can fight off something like that long enough for help to get here?' he asked in his mind.

**["I could always pump you full of my power and see what happens, but there's no guarantee you would survive it. As it stands, you are no match for Kokabiel. He is, after all, a being that survived a battle with both God and the devil kings."]** the dragon responded. Tyson grit his teeth.

'Hopefully it doesn't come to that, but if Azazel doesn't show up soon we may have no other choice.'

"Ugh, this is _so boring_. Let's liven things up a bit, shall we? Since you're here to entertain me for a while, I'll let you play with some of my pets!" Kokabiel said, before a flaming summoning circle appeared in the crater of the gymnasium. From the inferno stepped a large three-headed dog with glowing red eyes like its master, and flames leaking from its jaws.

"That's Cerberus! It's forbidden to bring him here!" Rias cried, before turning to her companions. "Issei, use your Sacred Gear to build up power, then transfer it to us! Akeno, Koneko, let's put him in the dog pound!"

"Right!" they responded, leaping into the air toward the beast while Issei summoned the Boosted Gear with the sound of **[Boost!]**.

Meanwhile, Tyson and Kokabiel were having a stare down. To be more precise, Tyson was glaring at the fallen angel while his opponent was glancing amusedly between him and the battle raging behind him. He occasionally took a quick look at the holy sword users who were in a fight of their own.

"So it looks like it's just you and me for now, buddy. What will Azazel say when he gets here?" Tyson asked, mentally praying that the man in question would arrive soon to keep them out of trouble. Kokabiel scowled.

"Azazel is too busy being wrapped up in his Sacred Gears to come stop me. Besides, he's so scared of war that he'll lie on his back like a dog to avoid it. He's not coming."

"Are you certain?" Tyson asked, smugly. "How can you be so sure that we didn't know your plan weeks ago, when Raynare told us everything?"

This made Kokabiels scowl even worse, and his sharp teeth ground against each other slightly. "Whether you knew or you didn't, it changes nothing. Unless I get some quality entertainment, the daughters of two of the maou will be dead before morning." he said, agitated.

The human knew this was a bad idea, but he went for it anyway. "I suppose I'll have to be your plaything for a bit. Be gentle, I'm just an insect, remember?" he joked before turning to his surrogate brother.

"Issei! Give me what power you've got saved up so far!" he called out, earning a shocked look from the smaller brunet.

"Are you serious Tyson!? You can't fight him alone! That's suicide!"

"Don't worry, I have a plan! A stupid one, but it should work!"

"..." Issei was silent for a moment before running up and placing his hand on Tyson's shoulder. "Fine. You have to survive, got it?"

**[Transfer!]**

The ability was called out, which surprised Rias since she was expecting the first boost in power. She turned toward the sound only to be brought back to reality as Cerberus swiped her to the side with one of its massive paws. Asia quickly ran to heal her wounds, but Rias managed to look long enough to see Tyson covered in black flames from head to toe. His power was extraordinarily high, and the pressure of his aura weighed down upon her slightly.

'I feel overflowing with power. Is this really what Ddraig's strength feels like?' he wondered to himself. His own dragon tenant scoffed.

**["It's really not that impressive, but it should help you survive against Kokabiel for a short time.]**

'We just need to keep him busy for a while, not beat him. The longer we wait, the better our chances of survival are.' Tyson thought to himself before summoning a ball of flames and pouring his magic into it, increasing its size until it was as large as the fallen's spear that had destroyed the gymnasium.

"Hahaha! It has been some time since I've seen the Blaze Black Flare in action! To see someone with so much control over it after so many years is exhilarating! Hopefully you can be worth my time!" Kokabiel exclaimed, summoning several smaller light spears and throwing them toward Tyson, who dodged by blending into the shadows of the Academy clocktower.

Kokabiel looked around for a moment before his eyes settled on a single spot. "Interesting...you possess not only the Blaze Black Flare but also the Shadow Prison. Tell me, how do you hold two of Vritra's Sacred Gears?" he asked, attention now fully on Tyson.

Tyson did not respond, hopping between shadows in an effort to close the distance between him and his opponent. He knew that Kokabiel could still sense him, but he knew he had the man's attention. Suddenly, he leapt from the shadow of Kokabiel's throne with his fist covered in black flames. The fallen cadre looked bored as he caught his hand, but his expression turned to shock when the flames covering their hands intensified and glowed with a dark purple aura.

Kokabiel forced Tyson backward, separating their hands before looking at his own. It was covered in horrible burns and his flesh was bubbling. "Impossible...you can activate the curse!?" he asked, becoming angrier by the second.

Tyson took a moment to catch his breath. "I can do a lot more than that. That curse will only end if one of us dies, so you'd better get used to that pain!" he shouted before creating a fireball the size of a person and throwing it. Kokabiel smiled like a maniac, slapping away the attack with his burnt hand.

"I asked for exciting, and I get injured already? This must be my lucky day!" he exclaimed, standing from his throne before floating. "Tell me. What's your name, human?"

"Doesn't matter, you won't be hearing it ever again after we're done with you."

"Ha, you think you can defeat me with some measly child's toy? _Think again!_" he shouted, flying at a speed that couldn't be seen before planting his fist in Tyson's chest. The man coughed up spit and blood as his internal organs ruptured.

The force of the blow sent him flying into the dirt below, creating a massive cloud of dust. Tyson coughed as he tried to catch his breath, but the pain was _unreal_.

'Can't afford to take another hit like that! Vritra, is there anything we can do!?' he asked, frantically.

**["The only way you can survive this is to hold out until help arrives. Basically, you're his punching bag."]**

'Not helpful!'

He was brought out of his mental conversation as another barrage of light spears rained down upon him. Tyson managed to dodge them, but the small explosives still rocked his body from the shockwaves of their impacts.

"Come on now, I thought you were going to give me a challenge, boy. I'm disappointed that you couldn't keep up." Kokabiel taunted, floating high above him in the clouds. Tyson wiped the blood from his mouth before chuckling a bit.

"I have a question for you then. When was the last time a human bug managed to injure you? Pretty shameful if you ask me." he said, smirking. Kokabiel's expression darkened as rage filled his eyes.

"One more quip like that and you'll be nothing but a smear on the dirt!" he yelled, summoning another massive lance of light before chucking it downward toward Tyson. The Vritra host managed to jump into the shadows of the gymnasium rubble for safety, avoiding the worst of the ensuing explosion.

He reappeared a short time later, clutching his left arm in his armored right one. Blood poured from a wound near his shoulder and down his chest, as some shrapnel was embedded in his skin. Flaring up his black flames, Tyson ejected the projectiles and forcibly sealed the wounds on his body.

The fight lasted several minutes, with Tyson being thrown left and right by Kokabiel's attacks which had started to become more and more vicious. Tyson's body was covered in wounds, and he panted heavily in exhaustion. Issei's boost of power had long since been exhausted as well.

During the brief moment of respite, Kokabiel took the time to look around at the carnage. "Interesting..." he smirked as he looked toward the holy sword users, who were having a discussion before Valper threw a blue crystal toward Kiba, who caught it in his hand.

It was nearly impossible to hear what he was mumbling to himself from this distance, but Tyson was glad to have a distraction from the pain of his injuries. He felt like he had run two marathons back to back while being whipped.

Suddenly, Kiba raised his blade and blue energy collected around it. "Dear comrades whose souls have merged with mine: we shall overcome this together. All our dreams that were stifled can now come true." he chanted, as the energy began to swirl wildly. "I'll create a sword for Buchou and all of my friends! Go, Sword Birth!" he yelled.

The swirling energy turned black and white before colliding. When the flash of light vanished, Kiba now held a blade with a black and white blade, as well as a black and golden guard. "This is a blade vested with both holy and devil powers. Let's just see you try to stop it!"

Kokabiel laughed softly to himself, drawing Tyson's attention. "If only he knew..." the cadre said to himself. Tyson narrowed his eyes, but brought his attention back to Kiba who was now standing beside Xenovia. They whispered something to each other before the bluenette stabbed her blade into the ground.

"Oh Peter, oh Basileus, and Dionysus, and the blessed virgin Mary, I ask you to please hear my prayers." she chanted, holding her right hand out to the side as a golden summoning circle appeared. From it, a large blade with a blue body and golden edge slowly materialized. It was covered in chains.

"In the name of the saint living within this blade, I hereby set you free! Durandal!" she cried, ripping the blade from its prison and holding it in front of herself. Tyson could hear Rias and the others gasp, while Kokabiel merely chuckled to himself.

They mentioned something about Durandal being a blade on par with Excalibur, and that it was a holy sword, but Tyson was too far away to hear anything else. Suddenly, Freed attacked the two of them. However, he was overpowered by both of their extremely powerful blades. Not long after the fight had begun, Durandal and the fused Excaliburs collided, causing the Excalibur to shatter into pieces.

Valper fell to his knees, but he had a maniacal smile on his face. "I get it now. The only way a holy-devil sword could exist is if the powers of darkness and light were in balance. If that's the case, back in the Great War, not only were the devil kings destroyed but also-!" he cried, before a large spear of light pierced through him, ending him instantly.

Tyson looked to Kokabiel, who appeared to have grown bored with him and floated down in front of the rest of his opponents. "Oh Valper, you really were quite talented. Unfortunately, you were a bit too talented for your own good this time." the fallen said, chuckling.

"Anyway, now I'm even more bored than before. You, dragon brat." he pointed toward Issei. "Boost your power as high as it can go and transfer it to the Gremory brat."

"Why would you want me to do that?" he asked, suspiciously.

"Is it so wrong to want a bit of a challenge? Just do it or I'll kill all of you here and now." Kokabiel responded, crossing his arms.

Rias and Issei nodded before green light began to shine from the Boosted Gear. Every ten seconds, the sound of **[Boost!]** could be heard. Eventually, he transferred the power to Rias and she glowed with a green aura. Her power was even higher than Tyson's own when he had received a transfer, and the weight of her power was easily noticed.

Kokabiel merely laughed at her. "That's better! Almost on par with Sirzechs! Now hit me with all you've got little girl!"

She complied, summoning a mass of black and red energy before firing it at the fallen angel. Although it connected, he managed to hold it back with no damage. Rias, exhausted, collapsed to the ground as her attack had expended all of her remaining strength along with Issei's power boost.

"Go, Akeno!" she cried, and everyone's sight snapped upwards once more to see the black haired Queen summoning thunder from her fingertips before she fired it at Kokabiel. He used his ten wings to block the attack before chuckling.

"How cute, the girl who possesses the power of Baraqiel is trying to fight?" he said, earning Tyson's attention while Issei looked around in confusion.

"Do not speak that disgusting name! I am nothing like him!" Akeno cried before intensifying her thunder attack. However, it was no use against the cadre.

"What's a Barkeel?" Issei asked, innocently. Tyson managed to walk over to them before sitting down. "He's another cadre-class fallen angel. Big guy, serious attitude, lots of power. I haven't seen him fight, but apparently he uses holy lightning in battle." Tyson explained. His explanation reminded everyone present that he had been working with fallen angels for weeks, so he had knowledge people didn't expect.

Kokabiel scoffed before summoning several small light spears and sending them toward Akeno, slicing up her miko outfit and sending her to the ground. Asia frantically looked between her injured comrades, trying to decide who to prioritize before running over to Akeno to take away the worst of the wounds.

Xenovia let out a battle cry before swinging Durandal toward the fallen angel, who created a yellow blade of light to block the attack. "It's silly, really. You fight so hard and you don't even know that your idol is gone!" Kokabiel shouted, smirking as the church members both former and current flinched with widened eyes.

"Wh-what do you mean by that!? Tell me!" the bluenette shouted, putting as much pressure as she could into her holy sword and causing it to glow a bright gold. Kiba stabbed his holy-devil sword into the ground before a ring of identical swords were summoned around Kokabiel. They swirled around in an attempt to slash at him but the cadre's ten wings grew to unnatural lengths and sliced at the swords, destroying them.

"Oops, I guess the secret's out! Your God is long gone, kids! He's been dead since the Great War; you've been praying to a dead man this whole time! Michael is the one in charge!" Kokabiel grinned as he finished before cackling evilly.

Xenovia looked visibly shaken by the news, and Kiba didn't fare much better. However, Asia had it the worst. She was hyperventilating and her eyes darted back and forth frantically. Issei held her tightly but it did little to help the blonde girl regain herself.

Tyson, who had never been much of a religious man to begin with, wasn't anywhere near as devastated but the news shocked even him to the core. 'God is dead? That's terrible news; I can only imagine how bad the faithful would react if this became common knowledge.' he thought to himself, gritting his teeth. 'It would be complete chaos.'

Issei stood and stepped forward. "Listen up Koka-freak! I don't care if God is gone, I won't let some fallen angel get in the way of my dream of becoming harem king!" he exclaimed, earning a laugh from the fallen.

"The harem king? That's all the infamous Red Dragon Emperor wants? Then join me, and you can have any woman you want by just pointing at them!" Kokabiel offered, smirking. Issei's confidence crumbled instantly as his mind filled with possibilities.

"Issei!" Rias shouted. "If you stop Kokabiel, I'll let you do _whatever you want_ to me! No restrictions!" At this, Issei's Boosted Gear began to glow a bright green and his expression became shocked.

"You mean...not just groping, but I can suck on your tits too!?" he asked, excitedly.

"If it gets us all out of here alive, it would be a small price to pay."

The Boosted Gear shined brighter before the gem let out a burst of green light. The sound of **[Explosion!]** echoed throughout the school grounds before the Boosted Gear itself changed shape once again. It extended further up Issei's forearm and gained a few more golden spikes as well as a smaller green gem further up, making it look much more fearsome than before.

"God is lucky he's dead already, because I feel like I could kick his ass right now!" Issei shouted, pointing at Kokabiel with as serious of an expression as he could muster.

"Wow...way to read the mood." Rias deadpanned and said, sarcastically.

Kokabiel grit his teeth before summoning another massive light spear and throwing it toward the group. Issei jumped forward, literally punching the weapon out of existence before his fist collided with Kokabiel's face. The blow knocked the fallen angel back a few feet, but did not seem to do any lasting damage.

"Seriously? All it took for the Sekiryuutei to unleash this much power was the chance to suck on some breasts?" he scoffed. "How shameful."

"Hear me Kokabiel, I am Issei Hyoudou, the Red Dragon Emperor powered on sex and passion!" Issei exclaimed, causing everyone including Kokabiel to sweatdrop.

Kiba sighed. "How embarrassing. He probably thinks that sounded cool."

Koneko deadpanned. "Being a total perv will _never_ be cool. Trust me."

The fallen angel chuckled. "Maybe you'll prove to be interesting after all!" he shouted, face twisted into a smirk.

"Him? Really?" a voice called out in the distance. Everyone looked around but couldn't find the source of the voice. "Who's there!?" Kokabiel demanded.

Suddenly, the barrier that covered the school was shattered from the very top and a bright blue light slowly descended. Issei felt a strange urge rising in his body for an unknown reason.

The blue light faded slightly before a white armored figure came into view. It had glowing blue wings that shined in the night, and the white armor looked almost holy in appearance. Blue gems glowed at the joints, reminding everyone of Issei's own Boosted Gear.

However, Tyson knew exactly who had come.

"Vali! Why are you here?" Tyson asked, earning a chuckle from the new addition to their battle. Rias and her peerage looked at him in shock.

"You know this guy Tyson!?" Issei asked, surprised. The man nodded.

"I'll let him do the introduction. I'd rather not get on his bad side today."

"Why is the Vanishing Dragon here!?" Kokabiel asked, frantically. "You must be captivated by the Red Dragon as well!"

The white figure flew at a speed that nobody but the fallen angel could see, throwing a punch that was barely blocked by the cadre. "You may be fast, but you're still no match for me!" Kokabiel roared, grabbing the outstretched fist and landing a solid punch on the armored figure's face, causing him to fly backward. The blow cracked the yellow-eyed helmet, showing off a small piece of its owner's face. However,

**[Divide!]**

A deep voice echoed, different than the Red Dragon's own voice. "He is Albion, the White Dragon. One of his powers allows me to cut the power of an opponent in half every ten seconds and add it to my own."

Issei was in shock. "That's just like the Boosted Gear, but the opposite!"

Kokabiel growled before summoning a light spear. He continued adding power to increase its size before it dwarfed the school building. He roared before throwing the weapon, but another call of **[Divide!]** caused it to rapidly shrink in size before it was little more than a glorified toothpick.

"It's over, Kokabiel. Azazel told me you were getting out of hand, and even if it took every last bit of my power, I'm here to take you in!" Vali said, charging the cadre only to be stopped by a wave of yellow power that burst forth from his opponent.

Kokabiel's rage intensified, coating him in a yellow aura that swirled around him like a dark wind. "I will _not_ be stopped here! I will have my war!" he cried, flying at unimaginable speed before slamming his fist into Vali's gut. The Hakuryuukou coughed up blood as he impacted the ground below, red seeping from the mouth of his partially broken helmet.

The fallen did not give him a chance to rest, summoning more light spears with purple rings around them. He threw the spears, and Vali managed to fly using his glowing wings to avoid the blast. The rest of the bystanders could do little but watch as the fight became more and more fierce.

Tyson grit his teeth as he watched Vali and Kokabiel fight one on one. 'Vali is strong, but Kokabiel is too. Unless he divides Kokabiel's power enough times, I don't know if he can take him alone!' he thought, trying to come up with a plan.

**[Divide!]**

The man looked back upward to see Vali implant his leg into Kokabiel's face, knocking the cadre down lower to the ground. The fallen angel roared before shooting back into the sky with his black wings, colliding with the White Dragon. The two of them had a power struggle as they locked hands in an attempt to overpower the other.

Tyson's eyes widened in realization before he turned to his surrogate brother. "Issei, I have a plan! We're going to help the White Dragon!" The shorter brunet looked at him in surprise.

"But how!? I can barely see what's happening up there!"

"You just got more powerful, right? I've got an attack that should work wonders for this. All I need is as big of a power boost as you can handle, can you do that for me?" Tyson asked, shakily standing to his feet before showing off a determined smile.

Issei struggled for a moment before returning the smile and nodding. "Got it! Give me a bit of time and I'll have the biggest boost you've ever seen!" he exclaimed, green gem on his gauntlet glowing intensely.

Minutes passed. Vali and Kokabiel were still fighting in the air, trading blows back and forth like a couple of punishment gluttons. Every ten seconds, the sound of **[Boost!]** would echo through the schoolyard. Eventually, Issei turned to his brother who was being healed by Asia.

"Alright, Tyson! It's all ready!" he said, walking up to the taller man who had his eyes closed in concentration.

'Okay Vritra, we're going to use the spear again. This time, we'll have a bit of help.' Tyson said mentally. A deep chuckle resounded through his mindscape.

**["Excellent. With a boost in strength from Ddraig's host, we could power that technique in no time at all! I'm ready!"]** the dragon said, excitedly. **["Let them witness the power of two dragons combined!"]**

Tyson took a deep breath before opening his eyes. "Alright, Issei. I'm ready."

"Right!" Isse said, placing his hand upon the taller man's shoulder. **[Transfer!]**

Tyson felt an overwhelming surge of power enter his body, so much so that his muscles tensed and contracted. A green aura surrounded him before he growled, twisting his power to his will and making it his own. The green aura quickly turned black before he was completely covered in flames from head to toe. Issei backed away quickly to avoid being burned, and all of the bystanders looked at him in awe.

He grunted in his efforts as he held his hand in front of himself, creating a fireball before shaping it into a spear. It took significantly less time than before, but it still took incredible concentration to bend flames to his will. He increased the heat until the spear became completely white, with black flares floating off its core. A deep hum was emitted from the weapon, showcasing how erratic its energy was.

"What...what is that!?" Rias exclaimed, gobsmacked. "He created a physical spear of flames!? But that should be impossible!" Everyone else held similar expressions. However, Kokabiel and Vali were still fighting and paid him little attention.

'Vritra, I need more! This isn't enough!' he shouted mentally.

**["The only way to give you more power right now is to turn part of your body into my own. I'm sure you can guess that will have serious consequences."]**

'Just do it! We need to take this guy out or we'll never get a chance to find my answers or get stronger like you wanted!'

**["That's all I needed to hear, partner! As long as you're sure, here we go! Brace yourself, this is gonna hurt!"]**

And hurt it did.

The flames on Tyson's arm flared before a sizzling noise could be heard. The man struggled to stay standing, and his eyes widened as the pain rendered him completely unable to speak. He could barely breathe from the pain in his right arm.

"Tyson!" Issei exclaimed, trying to run toward his older brother before the black flames flared once more, burning the entire area within a meter of Tyson's feet. Issei barely managed to jump backward to avoid being burned.

The Blaze Black Flare gave out a hot burst of power before expanding up Tyson's arm until it reached his shoulder. Now, it appeared more like a full one-arm pauldron than just a gauntlet.

Tyson's aura flared once again before the spear's black flames became bright blue as they drifted further from the core. It flickered dangerously in place, and the blue-black flames captivated everyone watching. They were as beautiful as they were deadly.

Tyson's eyes glowed a bright blue as his power reached an all-time high. "It's ready." he said, voice laced with deeper undertones. Multiple women nearby shuddered at the sound of strength coming from the man, while the men felt a small shiver work its way up their spine.

Gripping the spear in his protected hand, Tyson felt absolutely no heat from the weapon. With the added boost in power, he had a much easier time controlling the heat and focusing it all into the core of the spear.

The man waited for an opportune moment. 'Once Vali and Kokabiel separate, I'll throw it. I'll need your help on the speed of the throw, Vritra.'

**["With the added strength from having an arm made of my own flesh, you should have no problem throwing it at the speed you need."]** the dragon replied. **["Fire at will, Tyson!"]**

Kokabiel landed another punch on his opponent, sending Vali spinning in midair. While he was winded, the fallen launched a quick volley of light spears that impaled the White Dragon in the arms as he attempted to block. Blood seeped from the wounds as the Hakuryuukou panted just as heavily as the cadre.

After catching his breath for a moment, Vali roared before holding his hand outward and stretching his blue wings to their limits. "Time to finish this, Kokabiel! **Half-Dimension!**" he shouted, as Kokabiel's body began to crumble in on itself.

"What the hell is happening!?" Issei exclaimed, confused.

Kokabiel struggled to move as the dimensions began to collapse on his body. "Arrrgh, damn you White Dragon! This isn't enough to take me down!" the fallen yelled as his aura flared.

However, this was the perfect opportunity for someone else to re-enter the battle.

The bystanders saw Tyson take a few steps backward before planting his feet into the dirt. He let out a savage, throaty roar before pulling his hand backward and throwing his flame spear forward. The release of the weapon caused a sonic boom and a deafening blast, and the spear itself soared through the air faster than anyone, Vali and Kokabiel included, could see.

The only hint that he was about to be annihilated was the sudden flare of power before Kokabiel turned his head and felt a blinding pain enter his throat. A black, white, and blue spear made of pure flames was lodged completely inside of his throat, and any blood that would have escaped was melted immediately. He gagged as his windpipes were eradicated, and even Vali watched in awe at the strength of the attack.

Suddenly, the spear detonated, creating a massive explosion of black flames that shook the earth from their power. Black flames fell like raindrops and coated the entire school in fire as the shockwave nearly uprooted the trees. Vali collapsed to the ground not far away, panting heavily as the front of his armor was now jet black in color. Issei, Rias, and the rest of the bystanders were silent as scraps of Kokabiel's clothing slowly fell to the ground, covered in black flames. Soon, even those became nothing more than ashes.

Not a single trace of his body remained.

Tyson panted heavily as his eyes slowly regained their usual hazel-green color. He clutched at his arm as he fell to his knees, breathing heavier than he ever had in his life. Asia, along with everyone else, was too stunned to say or do anything. Even Vali, who was breathing heavily in exhaustion himself, found himself short of words.

"We...*huff* we did it... *huff*" Tyson managed to breathe out, quietly. "We got him..." Issei ran up to his older brother before giving him a once over.

"Big bro! Are you alright!? That was insane! I had no idea you could do something like that! Why didn't you tell me you could make something that strong!?" Issei fired off his questions rapidly, not giving Tyson an opportunity to respond. Rias finally found her voice.

"You completely obliterated a cadre class fallen angel in a single attack..." she said, disbelief evident in her voice. "How?..."

Vali was the one to speak. "It's because he is already strong." he stood from his small crater in the ground before turning toward the American. "I would love to fight you at our strongest, Tyson. I told you to become strong, but I'll admit that I did not see you becoming a respectable rival within only a month." the man said, dematerializing his white armor to show the young silver-haired man with only his wings. He had plenty of bruises and his clothes were slightly torn, and a slight streak of blood was coming from his mouth due to internal organ damage.

Issei called out to the man. "Just who are you, anyway!?"

Vali chuckled slightly. "I am Vali Lucifer, descendant of the original Lucifer. I am also the White Dragon Emperor, destined to fight you to the death one day, Issei Hyoudou."

A deep voice echoed as the green gem on the Boosted gear flashed. **["Are you going to ignore me, White One?]** came the voice of Ddraig.

**["Ah, I was wondering when we would meet again, Red One. It seems your host has surrounded himself with powerful people, this is new."]** a slightly higher-pitched voice spoke as Vali's blue wings flashed a brighter blue.

Everyone stayed silent as the two dragons conversed. **["Haha, yes. This host is a strange one. Unnaturally perverted, but he possesses great potential. How about you, old friend?"]**

**["Vali is the strongest host I have ever had. If what you say is true, our battle of this generation will be glorious!"]**

A deep hum of agreement. **["I agree. Let us meet again sometime, White One. Meeting like this generation after generation makes me yearn for my original body once more. Our battles were much more interesting back then."]**

**["I, too, wish for my own form. However, our bodies were destroyed before we were sealed. It is best to leave such thoughts in the past where they belong."]**

Vritra decided to speak up, interrupting the two rivals as Tyson's Blaze Black Flare glowed a soft purple. **["Is it truly impossible to regain what we have lost?"]**

Albion and Ddraig both sounded surprised. **["You have awakened at last, Vritra? This is most interesting, I thought you were split into pieces before being sealed."]** Ddraig said, astonished.

**["Yes, I was. However, thanks to my current host and the Governor of the fallen angels, I was awakened. It has been quite some time since I roamed this earth, and I must say it is infuriating to see things through a human's point of view."]**

Albion laughed, while the bystanders could only listen in interest during their conversation. **["Haha! You will grow used to it eventually, I'm sure. Your host is no weakling himself, is he Vritra?"]**

Tyson's dragon scoffed. **["He is a human, so there is only so much one can expect. However..."]** Vritra trailed off, **["He continues to exceed my expectations."]**

Ddraig chuckled. **["To feel the success of a strong host is the most we can ask for these days. We live on through them, so consider yourself lucky to have such an interesting one as your first! Perhaps one day he could join our own hosts in battle! Wouldn't that be exciting, White One?"]**

Albion shared his laugh. **["Indeed, Red One! Should he prove worthy, we could start calling him the Black One!"]** The two dragons laughed together, completely unbecoming of the legend that said the two hated each other. They acted like more than just rivals; they acted like best friends.

Vritra was silent, but he appreciated the attention. Tyson could feel a small amount of pride develop within his own chest. 'We'll get there, Vritra. Let's take one thing at a time and worry about the whole Heavenly Dragon thing when we get there.'

**["Right..."]** the Prison Dragon was oddly quiet, and Tyson took that as his cue to speak up.

"Vali, where the hell is Azazel? I texted him hours ago!" he asked, crossing his arms awkwardly since his Sacred Gear encompassed his entire right arm.

The Hakuryuukou looked at him genuinely confused. "You did? He told me to come here only half an hour ago. I'll warn you though, Azazel is the _worst_ when it comes to checking his phone. You're better off contacting him by communication circle."

Tyson facepalmed. "Of _fucking course_ he is..." the man mumbled angrily.

Rias shook her head. "Tyson...what the hell was that attack you did? I don't think I've ever seen anything like that before." she asked, still in shock over the day's events.

Tyson shrugged. "It isn't really as complicated as it looked. Basic human science explains how flames are created with three parts: heat, fuel, and oxygen. As long as there's enough of each, the flame can sustain itself. There's more than enough oxygen in the air, so all I needed was fuel and heat." His overly simplistic explanation grabbed even Vali's attention.

He continued his small science lecture. "I figured the 'fuel' was magic power, and Issei's boost gave me more than I needed. All I needed to do was force my flames to burn hotter and hotter until they could burn right through anything they touched in an instant. Hence, I managed to create a wildly inefficient fire-spear with a compressed solid form and an extraordinary amount of unstable power."

Kiba's eyes widened. "You mean you _forced_ pure fire into solid form as a weapon!?" he asked, shocked. "That shouldn't even be possible!"

Tyson nodded. "You're right, it isn't. The spear itself isn't actually solid, but because it burns so hot, it pierces through things as if it is one. It also maintains its explosive strength, so it's basically an armor-piercing missile."

Issei's jaw was open in surprise. "Woah, Tyson that's so awesome! How did you come up with something like that!?" he asked, literally shaking with excitement.

Vali interjected. "Indeed. Who would have thought that one could apply human concepts to magic? You intrigue me, Solomon." he dusted himself off before approaching the taller man. "I've been looking for strong individuals to join a little group of mine. You want to join?" he proposed, earning a raised eyebrow from Tyson and shocked look from Rias.

"Why would he ever join you!?" she asked, agitated. Tyson scoffed.

"I need answers: how I got here, _why_ I was brought here. I can't sit around at a day job forever and pretend to be a normal human anymore. You said it yourself, Rias. You devils have things that need to stay between your kind, and I don't belong in all of that. Besides, it could be fun."

Tyson turned toward Issei with a soft smile. "Little brother, become stronger. If not for yourself or for the people you care about, do it for me. You've become important to me in the short time we've known each other, and I don't want to hear that you ever lost in battle, got it?" he said, and Issei teared up.

"But-but you can't just leave!" he said, trying to control his emotions.

"I have to, Issei." Tyson said, solemnly. "I don't belong with a group of devils anymore. A lot of shit is going to happen soon, and I need to be as strong as I can. I'm only human, after all."

Issei's tears streaked down his face. "But what about mom and dad!? They love you! Hell, they love you more than they love me!" Tyson had to choke back a small sob at that face.

"Then they'll understand that there are things that I have to do for _me_, Issei. I'll never stop loving them, or you for that matter. Next time you see me, I'll be tough enough that God himself would struggle against me if he were still around." he said, smirking.

Issei shuddered as his tears continued to fall, and Tyson smiled sadly before walking up and placing his hand on his brother's head, ruffling his unruly hair. "Remember kiddo: do what your heart tells you. This is what my heart is telling me to do. Do you know what I mean?" he asked, softly.

Issei nodded, but continued sobbing before grabbing Tyson in a tight hug. After a moment of surprise and another soft smile, Tyson returned it. "Just promise me you'll come back alive, okay?" Issei asked, hesitantly. Rias and the other girls struggled to keep their tears from falling at the emotional scene. Kiba and, surprisingly, Vali looked away with soft smiles on their faces at the display.

Tyson chuckled as he ground his fist into his younger brother's head like a noogie. "Don't worry about me, Issei. You have your harem to build, remember? Become strong enough, smart enough, and, _for the love of everything both holy and evil,_ mature enough to handle them all." he declared, and Issei nodded into his chest.

Tyson hugged the younger man tighter to himself before leaning in and whispering in his ear. "Don't blindly trust Rias. She knew that Raynare would try to kill you that day." Issei's eyes widened but Tyson squeezed him a bit tighter to make it seem like that was the cause of his surprise.

Releasing the younger man from their embrace, Tyson walked over to Vali. "Ready to go?" he asked, and Vali nodded before creating a teleportation circle below the two of them.

"As he said, get stronger Issei Hyoudou. I want our battle to be exciting." Vali said, before the two disappeared.

Only moments after the duo vanished, another teleportation circle appeared and Azazel stepped out of it. "So Kokabiel, sounds like you've been-" he cut himself off, opening his eyes from his confident declaration to see no hide nor hair of the man he was expecting.

After a few moments of silence, the blond-banged man hesitantly asked. "Uhh, where's Kokabiel?"

Akeno, who had mostly recovered from the shock (and the horniness) of Tyson's attack, spoke. "It would seem Kokabiel no longer exists. You are too late." she said, and Azazel's eyes widened.

"You mean he's dead!? Aww man, and I was going to imprison him in ice for the rest of eternity!" he pouted, kicking the dirt. "Who ruined my whole plan!?"

Issei hesitantly spoke. "Uhh, Tyson did it. I gave him a ton of boosts and he made some kind of fire-spear. Stabbed the guy right in the throat before it exploded." he explained, and Azazel's eyes widened and he smiled like a maniac.

"Really!? Did he improve that technique!? Was the flame still black, or was it white!? Did it really pierce through Kokabiel, or just explode!?" the researcher fired his questions off so rapidly that nobody could keep up.

Rias coughed into her hand. "Ahem. Putting aside your obvious interest in his abilities, maybe you would like to explain just _why_ Kokabiel was trying to start another war?" the redhead asked, and a red teleportation circle appeared next to her before a crimson-haired man stepped out of it.

"Ria-tan! I'm here to help!" the man exclaimed with a serious expression. Rias Gremory sighed before pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Onii-sama, you're already too late. The fight's over." she said, and the man slumped over with depression lines falling from his face. "I was too late?..." he mumbled to himself.

Azazel sweatdropped at seeing Sirzechs Lucifer in such a casual state. 'Well shit. I guess there's no getting out of this one.'

Tyson opened his eyes to the interior of a mansion. It had at least three floors based on the number of stairs, the kitchen behind him was large and well-kept, and a few couches and chairs were placed in front of a large TV. Vali walked over to a cabinet before withdrawing two towels, tossing one to his guest and using the other to wipe the sweat and blood from his face.

"Welcome to my home. It's our base of operations, but we hang out here when we're not on jobs. Make yourself at home." he said, before grabbing an energy bar from the kitchen and plopping down on the largest couch. Tyson decided to check what food was available, and he sweatdropped.

'They have literally _no_ real ingredients here! It's all microwave meals, packaged meats, and bread!' he thought to himself, before sighing. 'They don't even have fruits or vegetables...'

Grabbing some lunch meat and bread, he made himself a sandwich before sitting in one of the chairs across from the silver haired man. They sat in silence for a short while, mentally and physically recovering from their battle. After several minutes, Vali turned his attention to Tyson.

"So, how _did_ you get that much stronger in such a short time anyway? I imagine awakening Vritra was only part of it."

Tyson nodded. "He's been a big help with controlling it all, but I worked hard this past month. Every day I was training and improving myself, whether that was combat training against some of the fallen angels or alone in a training room for a whole day." he chuckled. "Azazel called me a 'training freak', but I guess I never thought about it too much. It was just too exciting for me to stop. We didn't have magic in the human world, so having something interesting was a breath of fresh air." he explained, and Vali nodded at him.

"Still, creating a spear made of fire was an interesting technique. How many times have you attempted it?" the man asked, leaning back against the couch.

Tyson chuckled again. "That was actually the second time I've ever used it. The first time was less focused and more explosive, but much less powerful." he looked down at his right hand, which was still covered by his Sacred Gear. It stung horribly, as if the skin was tearing itself apart and reforming. A flare of pain caused him to grip it tightly while gritting his teeth.

Vali noticed. "You gave your right arm to Vritra, didn't you?" he asked, already knowing the answer. "You will need to get that checked out. Kuroka can help with her senjutsu, but she won't be back for a bit longer. Bikou can also use senjutsu, but he's more battle focused. You'll meet him tomorrow when he returns."

Tyson's mind was swimming as his world was once again thrown upside down. 'Kuroka was that cat girl, right? I wonder how she's been...' He was brought out of his thoughts as a black teleportation circle appeared behind them, closer to the kitchen. As the light faded, a familiar black haired woman appeared. 'Speak of the devil and she shall appear...'

Kuroka looked around for a moment before her eyes settled on the two disheveled men in the living room. She smirked as she noticed their appearance. "Looks like Kokabiel was harder than you thought Vali, nya." she said, walking toward them and leaning over the back of the couch. "And Tyson, fancy seeing you here."

Tyson gave a lazy wave. "Hey, it's been a while hasn't it?" Kuroka snickered.

"It's been a month and you show up out of nowhere looking like you got your ass kicked. Speaking of which, why do you still have your Sacred Gear out? Not that I'm complaining, nya. The aura you're giving off is _delightful_." she purred, giving him a half-lidded stare.

Tyson didn't even have the energy to blush, instead leaning his head back against the chair. "Spare me this time, Kuroka, it's been a long day. Basically, I gave my arm to Vritra to kill Kokabiel." His statements earned a shocked look from the nekoshou.

"Woah woah, hold up a sec. You're telling me Kokabiel is _dead_? And you're saying _you_ were the one to kill him?" she asked, incredulously. She looked at Vali, who nodded and sighed.

"He's telling the truth, Kuroka."

"How the hell?..." she trailed off, eyes widened in genuine surprise. "You're just a human! How could you possibly take down a cadre class fallen angel!?"

Tyson shrugged. "I had a lot of help. The Red Dragon Emperor gave me a massive boost in power and I blasted Kokabiel into ashes with one attack. Vali was keeping him busy, though. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have had the time to make my fire-spear."

She raised an eyebrow. "A spear of fire?"

He gave his usual explanation, and Kuroka giggled softly. "You've gotten a lot stronger, and it's only been a month. Color me impressed." she said, walking behind Tyson's chair and draping herself over it. In doing so, she placed her large breasts right above the man's head temptingly.

Although he didn't blush, Tyson was definitely aroused by the action. He tilted his head backward to lock eyes with the cat girl, and he smirked. "I like to exceed expectations." he said, confidently. Kuroka purred, her tails swishing behind her playfully.

"Is that so? Well, maybe I should test you myself to see just how strong you've become, nya."

Vali shook his head. "It will have to wait until we're all healed up. Speaking of which, I'll need you to use your senjutsu to heal his arm back to normal. He'll be in your care, Kuroka."

At that, the woman's smirk became much wider. "Ohoho, he'll be in _good hands_ for sure, nya." she said, seductively. This time, Tyson actually blushed but he was slightly afraid of what the woman had planned. 'Knowing how the devils heal people, I can only imagine what _this_ woman will do.' he thought to himself.

The nekoshou leaned further down before wrapping her arms around Tyson's neck, squishing his head between her breasts. "Come on, Tyson. Let's head up to my room and we can heal that arm of yours." Although Tyson had been in many a woman's room before, this was probably the first time he had ever been _afraid_ to do so. Kuroka's teasing tone only made him worry more.

Tyson stood, breaking free from the woman's embrace before turning to Vali. "Anything I need to know before tomorrow? It's the middle of the night, but I don't exactly plan to sleep late."

The Hakuryuukou looked lazily at his guest. "You and I need to visit Azazel and the fallen angels tomorrow morning. I imagine they'll have questions for both of us, probably about you killing Kokabiel while being a human. It's unheard of for someone of his caliber to die in battle against one."

Tyson nodded. "Got it. I'll probably hit up a grocery store or something first thing tomorrow so we can actually eat breakfast. Do you guys seriously not know how to cook anything without a microwave?" he asked, crossing his arms. Vali shrugged.

"No need to. We usually spend our time out on missions, so we eat out a lot." he said. Kuroka hummed in agreement. "Plus, we all suck at cooking, nya. Last time Bikou tried, he nearly burned down the kitchen." she snickered at the memory, and Tyson sighed.

"I could always teach you how..." he offered, and both of them looked at him in surprise.

"You can cook?" Kuroka asked, before her teasing expression returned. "You're quickly becoming husband material, Tyson. You'd better be careful, nya."

Tyson merely shook his head and sighed again. "Cooking isn't really hard, you just need to know a few things. If you're up in the morning, I'll show you both how." His arm flared up in pain, and he gripped his armored hand to dull it slightly. "Anyway, you said you'd heal my arm? This thing hurts like hell."

Kuroka nodded and walked toward the stairs before turning her head to look at him. "Follow me, Tyson. Oh, and be sure to look up my kimono on the stairs. You might like what you see, nya." she said teasingly. Instead of reacting, Tyson merely used his draconic arm to push her lightly forward to keep walking. She pouted, and the man merely chuckled.

"If you're offering, it'd be rude not to. But, as you can see, it's a little hard to think about much when your arm is on fire."

Her pout intensified, and she took to leaning slightly backward onto his chest as the two walked slowly up the stairs to Kuroka's room. She tilted her head back to look up at him, her tails brushing playfully at his legs and her ears rubbing against him. By now, they were nearing the third floor and were well out of earshot of Vali.

"If I offered, would you protect me forever?" she asked, giving him a puppy-eyed look. Tyson clicked his tongue and looked away, blushing.

"Even if I know you're just teasing, that look of yours should be illegal. Besides, you're stronger than I am by far."

"I _am_ a criminal, after all. Illegal just means 'more fun'."

This caused him to stop for a moment. "You're a criminal? How?" Kuroka sighed as the mood was ruined. "I'll tell you about it in my room." she said, giving a short response.

The rest of the journey to the woman's room was silent, and Tyson was beginning to regret it. 'She's definitely got some issues, if I remember what she said last time correctly. She was right about one thing though, we're not too different.' he thought to himself.

She soon opened a door and inside was a fairly basic bedroom that looked lived-in. A few articles of clothing were haphazardly thrown over a chair in the corner of the room, and only a few photographs of her and a certain white-haired girl were placed on the mantle. Tyson followed her into the room before she sat on the edge of the bed, motioning for him to do the same.

He complied, sitting on the soft mattress and thick comforter to the left of the nekoshou. She took his hand in her own before his arm, which was previously feeling like it was constantly burning, now felt a brush of cold. Almost as if it were dunked in cold water, his arm stopped screaming at him in pain. He looked over to her in surprise.

"This is that senjutsu that Vali was talking about, right? What exactly is it?" Tyson asked, and Kuroka hummed.

"It's like magic, but it's all about manipulating life forces and natural energies. It's a lot more delicate than regular magic, and it isn't quite as destructive, but it has a huge variety of uses." she explained, continuing to hold his hand in her own as the peaceful feeling enveloped the man. He let out a soft groan of pleasure, and Kuroka giggled at him before smirking.

"Oh? Is someone getting aroused by just holding my hand?" she teased, and Tyson shook his head while smiling.

"Whatever you're doing feels amazing, but it's not like that. It's like taking a cool bath after being out in the desert for a week." he said, and Kuroka laughed at him.

"I'm well aware of how it feels. Being skilled at senjutsu lets you literally feel someone's life force. I'll admit, yours radiates power, but also has so much peace that I can't help but want to fall asleep when I'm this close." she smiled at him, earnestly. Tyson couldn't help but return it, sensing no teasing intent behind it.

"Well you're welcome, I guess. I don't really know how that all works, but I think it would be pretty cool to learn."

Kuroka shook her head. "It's not something that's easy to learn. Usually, only youkai like myself are really capable of using senjutsu at all. I can teach you the basics, but since you're a human it'll probably just give you the soft fuzzies for a bit before going away." she said, snickering. Tyson let out a short laugh.

"Can't hurt to try, but I think I'll wait on that idea for later." he said, looking down at his right hand which had returned to its original state. He looked at Kuroka only to see her taking a few deep breaths. She noticed his gaze and looked at him.

"It takes a lot of concentration to repair the body using senjutsu, but it's very effective." she clarified, before Tyson stood and flexed his hand to get the feeling back.

"Thanks for helping, it feels a lot better. I'll just find an empty room and-" he was walking toward the door but his hand was gripped tightly. Turning around, he noticed Kuroka with a somber expression on her face as she looked away.

"You can sleep here...if you want..." she offered, softly. She was blushing a bit, obviously embarrassed, and Tyson couldn't help but chuckle.

"What, no teasing?" he asked, smirking at her. After noticing that her expression didn't change, his expression began to mirror hers. He sighed. "If you insist, I'll stay here for the night." She smiled softly as he accepted, standing and snapping her fingers. As she did, a magic circle was created at her feet that quickly rose to cover her body in light.

When it faded, Kuroka was now dressed in a tank top and shorts. She would look like a completely normal girl if it weren't for the cat ears and tails. Tyson blushed slightly and averted his eyes. 'Holy shit, somehow that's even hotter than what she usually wears!'

She giggled at his expression. "Come on and change into something more comfortable; you're not going to wear _that_ to bed are you?" she asked, teasingly as she gestured to his torn and filthy clothing. He chuckled sheepishly while rubbing the back of his head.

"I, uh, still can't quite do that whole 'magical outfit change' thing yet." he admitted, and Kuroka laughed at him as if she knew all along but wanted him to say it himself.

She smiled at him. "Stand still, I think I've got something that'll look good on you." she said, snapping her fingers once more. The same black magic circle appeared at his feet, and Tyson felt a quick rush of wind before he was clothed in nothing more than a black speedo.

He blushed madly, but made no effort to hide himself. "When you said it would look good on me, I was honestly expecting something with a bit more...substance." he said, smiling at her though he was embarrassed. She tilted her head cutely at him, but Kuroka was blushing as well at his appearance.

"You're quite comfortable considering a woman just stripped you practically naked. I thought your reaction would be a lot funnier." she said, huffing and crossing her arms in a pout. Tyson chuckled.

"Sorry, I'll try again." he said while laughing before hiding himself dramatically and crying out. "Ah, what the hell!? I thought you'd give me actual clothes, not turn me into your personal fantasy!" She giggled at him and his antics before snapping her fingers once again.

"Much better. Now I'll be serious." she said, happy that he indulged her playful side. The magic circle enveloped Tyson before leaving him in basketball shorts and no shirt. Kuroka licked her lips as she saw him and her tails flicked once. "_Much better_. Now come here, nya." she gestured as she quickly crawled under the heavy comforter.

Tyson obliged, still wincing as a few bruises and cuts from his battle with Kokabiel made themselves known. Kuroka noticed his discomfort before wrapping both of her arms loosely around his body. They were now lying together in bed, but Tyson was hesitant to return the embrace considering their situation.

Suddenly, the man felt the same cool feeling wash over him once more. His wounds healed themselves in minutes, and combined with the heat of both the comforter and the woman's body clinging to him, Tyson was in a state of bliss. After a short time of silence, Kuroka spoke.

"So tell me a bit about yourself, Tyson. If we're going to sleep together, we may as well get a bit better acquainted, nya." she said, and the man could feel her tails draping themselves over his own legs. The feather-light touches sent small shivers up his spine.

"There's not a lot to tell. Up until about a month ago, I was just a human in California with no knowledge of the supernatural, magic, or anything like that. Just a lonely life with a boring job." he said, summing up the majority of his life.

Kuroka pinched him slightly in the side, eliciting a flinch from the man. "I said to tell me about yourself, nya, not summarize it. Do you have any family?" she asked, and Tyson sighed.

"I have both my parents and an older brother, or _had_, I guess. I don't even know if I'm in the same dimension or world since we're currently seven years behind where I used to be." he stated, earning a shocked look from the girl. "And no, before you ask, I don't know what will happen in the future."

She smirked at him. "Wasn't going to ask anyway, nya. Were you and your family close?"

He sighed once again, placing his head on the pillow above Kuroka's so he could hide his face slightly. "My mom and dad split up when I was pretty young, but he kept in touch when he could. Mom took care of my brother and I for the longest time, but she never quite moved on. My dad remarried, but she only cared about Jason and I. Once my brother left to live with his wife, mom only had me."

He continued, while rubbing Kuroka's back lightly. "Then I got a job offer on the other end of the country, in Los Angeles. I was so excited to go off and do my own thing, but mom was devastated." He chuckled a bit. "She was the definition of an 'empty-nester', always worrying about me every day." he said as his expression turned somber. "I hope she's alright, especially if it's really been a month since I came here. If she went a month without me answering her calls, she would probably have a panic attack."

Kuroka squeezed him a bit tighter. "I'm sure no matter what, she's alright." the girl tried to reassure him, but he was a bit lost in his thoughts. She frowned as she realized that she had dug up some painful memories. "I barely got a chance to know my parents before they were killed. I was maybe five at the time, but a devil family came to capture my sister and I for their peerages. Mom and dad tried to stop them, but they were killed."

Tyson listened quietly as the girl clutched herself closer to him and he could feel her tremble slightly. "Shirone and I were both reincarnated as devils that day, and they performed all kinds of tests on us. They wanted us for our powerful nekomata blood, and nothing else. After about fifteen years, the tests turned into experiments." she said, recalling her past with a shudder.

"They pumped me full of all kinds of drugs to increase my power artificially. The experiments were horrifying, so horrible that I don't ever want to explain just what happened, but once they started to see positive results they started talking about experimenting on my sister too." she said, and Tyson gasped.

"Shirone was barely a teenager when they were going to experiment on her. I couldn't bear to let her go through what I did, and I killed the devils who reincarnated us." she said, gripping tighter to Tyson's unclothed chest and burying her face in it. Tyson could feel wet drops on his body, and looked down to see that the woman was crying.

"I murdered five men in cold blood that day and was branded a stray devil: a criminal of the underworld. I couldn't let Shirone live her entire life on the run, so I dropped her off at the Gremory's before running away. They may be devils, but they care about their own. I figured if anyone could keep my sister safe, it would be them."

Tyson rubbed the back of the woman's head as she recalled her painful past. "And you've been on the run ever since." he finished her story for her, and she nodded. "I won't pretend I understand what it's like, but I'm always here if you need me for anything."

Kuroka nodded into his chest again, sobbing. By now, Tyson had wrapped his arms around her body and pulled her closer to himself. The nekoshou didn't seem to mind, wrapping one of her legs around his own and laying halfway on top of his body.

They laid like that for nearly half an hour, simply enjoying the warmth of the other's presence and the sensation of a soft embrace that both had been starved of for so long. The exhaustion had started to finally catch up to Tyson, and he slowly began to succumb to blissful rest.

As his senses dulled and his breathing slowed, he could faintly feel the feeling of a pair of lips on his own.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey everyone! Here's chapter 8, hope you like it!**

"Hello" - Words

'Hello' - Thoughts

_Hello_ \- Emphasis

**Hello **\- Abilities/Magic spells

**["Hello"]** \- Heavenly Dragon voice

**['Hello'] **\- Heavenly Dragon thoughts

**Feel free to review!**

"And that's pretty much what happened."

Tyson said, crossing his arms as he stood in front of the entire fallen angel council. Azazel, for once, had a serious expression on his face as he sat in his council seat.

"So let me get this straight," the governor started, "you killed a cadre-class fallen angel with a ridiculously powered up fire spear." he finished, gazing down at the human skeptically. The other council members mirrored his expression. "And you sacrificed your arm to Vritra to do it."

Vali took a small step forward to assert himself. "He had plenty of help. By that point, I had divided Kokabiel at least six times and had caught him in my **Half-Dimension**." the silver haired man clarified. A beautiful woman with long brown hair and a remarkable figure nodded.

"Although he had ten wings, being divided six times would mean his power was barely above sixteen percent of his normal. That's after a long battle against the Hakuryuukou. Although unlikely, it's not impossible for an extremely powered up human to defeat him." she said, glancing toward her leader.

Azazel nodded at her. "I agree, Penemue. I haven't gotten the chance to witness Tyson's 'fire spear' in action, but I've seen the results when he used only his own power. Throw in the power of the Red Dragon, and you have yourself one hell of an attack, even from a human."

Shemhazai was scratching his chin. "Intriguing. That one of our strongest would be defeated in such a manner, by a human no less, this could spell trouble for us." he said, looking toward the governor with mild concern etched onto his face. "But, it could also be an opportunity for peace."

Baraqiel nodded while crossing his arms, eyes closed. "Indeed. Although there were devils and church members present during the battle, the killing blow was done by a human. In addition, Solomon is technically under the employment of Grigori, so this matter could be closed as a clean-up of our own faction." the burly man said, causing the other council members to nod and hum in agreement.

"Agreed. Kokabiel wanted a war, but he ironically provided us a chance to better our faction relations. I suppose we have you to thank for that, Tyson. And you as well, Vali." Azazel said, turning his attention back toward the two in the center of the room.

Tyson shook his head. "It was nothing, really. I just happened to be doing _exactly what you told me to do_, and things escalated a bit." he said, emphasizing that Azazel was completely aware of the possibility of this happening. The other cadre looked at their leader with raised eyebrows, who simply shrugged.

"What? I had a feeling they'd get into trouble so I had Tyson keep an eye on them for me." he admitted, but Shemhazai merely sighed.

"Azazel, you really need to tell us when you do things like this," he said, massaging his temples to relieve the oncoming headache. "I _know_ that you're aware of how badly this could have ended."

Vali spoke up. "Are we done here?" he asked, impatiently while crossing his arms. Azazel chuckled.

"Yep, you guys are good to go. Vali, I'll let you know if I need you. Tyson, take a week off. If you build up too much heat in the supernatural world too quickly, you could become a target. I know you can handle yourself in a fight, but you're a valuable asset to us for multiple reasons and we can't afford to let you be killed." the governor explained. Tyson nodded, before his stomach growled and he hunched over to clutch at his stomach.

"Thanks. We never got a chance to eat breakfast because _someone_," he glared at the White Dragon Emperor beside him, "doesn't stock his house with _real food!_" Vali merely shrugged.

"Not my fault you're high maintenance. What's wrong with microwave ramen in the morning, anyway?"

"Literally _everything_ is wrong with that!"

"It's both nutritious and delicious!"

"That's all sodium, carbs, and fat! That's the worst thing to eat, especially in the morning!"

"You didn't say it wasn't delicious." Vali said as he shrugged again, and Tyson sighed in defeat. Azazel laughed openly at the two. "Haha! Who would have thought the almighty Hakuryuukou would eat like such a simpleton!"

Said White Dragon Emperor shot a nasty glare toward the governor, who was completely unfazed by the attempt at intimidation. "I'm leaving." the silver haired man stated, opening up a summoning circle and vanishing.

Tyson soon followed, having been given the coordinates to the Lucifer's mansion prior to their meeting. However, he was stopped by Azazel's voice. "Ah, hold on a second Tyson! I almost forgot! Here's your pay for the mission you completed."

A bulging envelope was flicked toward him, and Tyson caught it in his hand before opening it up and sputtering. "Hold on, is this how much I think it is!?"

The Governor chuckled. "Sure is! One hundred million Japanese yen, all yours!" Tyson looked at the unbelievable sum of money. "...Are you sure?" he asked, skeptically.

"Absolutely. You helped to prevent the start of another Great War. No amount of human currency is enough to pay you for what you did. Consider this a welcome gift from the supernatural world."

Tyson didn't really know what to say. He never imagined he would ever have this amount of money in his lifetime, let alone by _killing_ someone. The thought didn't make him feel as upset as he expected, especially because Kokabiel was an evil man with selfish intentions that would have caused the death of millions had he not been stopped. He thanked the Governor before pocketing the envelope and teleporting back to the mansion.

Reappearing in the kitchen, Tyson noticed that his groceries from earlier in the morning were left on the counter untouched. 'Figures that nobody would even bother to put them in the fridge where they belong. It feels like college all over again.' he thought to himself. He may have been a bit annoyed, but he was accustomed to dealing with deadbeat roommates so this was comfortable territory for him.

Back when he was with Issei's family, he had jokingly purchased a black apron that said 'kiss the cook' on it along with lipstick prints all over. He had one back when he was in America, so finding an identical one was nostalgic. Tying the straps behind his back and tying his hair into a loose ponytail, Tyson got to work.

Within minutes he had fired up the extremely advanced stove and was juggling between scrambling eggs, flipping pancakes, cooking bacon and sausages, making french toast, and chopping vegetables for the more health-conscious members of their group. Tyson figured that Vali and Kuroka would both eat whatever he made them, but he wasn't sure how many others would be joining them or what they preferred. Thus, he decided to go all out with a small feast just in case.

Halfway done with his cooking, which was all timed perfectly to sync up at the last moment for serving, footsteps could be heard coming from the stairwell. "Mmmm, whatever you're cooking smells _delicious,_ Ty." Kuroka moaned, stretching her arms above her head with a satisfying *pop*. The chef was too focused to turn his attention away from his masterpiece, but he chuckled.

"It's a bit of everything, so I hope you like some variety. I wasn't sure how many we'd have, but some leftovers never hurt anybody." he said, smiling to himself before he felt a body press against his back and a head lay itself on the back of his shoulder. He turned his head and saw the nekomata sleepily leaning against him.

He chuckled again. "What, still tired? It's already ten in the morning, Kuroka." he joked, causing the girl to press her face harder into his back in a weak attempt at retaliation. "Not a morning person..." she mumbled, ears bent slightly and tails sagging.

They stayed like that for a few more minutes with Tyson humming a gentle tune to himself and Kuroka clinging to his back as he swayed to his own music. She couldn't help but feel soothed by the peaceful aura that wafted off the man in waves. Suddenly, he flicked off the burners and began combining the dishes into a single plate.

The chef reached back to rub the woman's head between her ears for a moment, causing her to purr. "Food's ready. You hungr-" he started, but the plate was instantly snatched from his hand and Kuroka had already sat down at the kitchen table with utensils and a glass of milk that appeared out of seemingly nowhere. He chuckled as she took a bite of one thing, eyes glistening and face lit up in joy, only to repeat the process with each other part of her meal.

Although she was too busy stuffing her face to voice her appreciation, the widened eyes and quick flick of her tails told Tyson everything he needed to know about how she felt. She finished shortly after, with Tyson continuing to cook more for everyone else, since he knew he would eat a good bit himself.

Kuroka leaned back in her chair with a happy sigh. "Ty, I don't know if you've heard this before, but I think I might be in love with you." The man in question chuckled softly.

"I get that a lot after someone tastes my cooking in the morning. Though..." he trailed off, smirking and turning toward her. "I wouldn't mind a bit of a taste of it myself." he finished with a wink, and the nekomata finally noticed his apron before returning his smirk with one of her own.

"Oho, getting a little cocky are we, nya? We've only slept together once, and you're asking for a good morning kiss?" she asked, tails swishing playfully now. "Hmm, I suppose you've earned one." she admitted, motioning for him to come to her. He obliged, walking up to her slowly.

The woman grasped his face gently with both hands before leaning in. He closed his eyes in anticipation, but where he thought he'd receive a kiss he ended up getting a lick on his cheek. He blushed slightly with a groan. Kuroka saw his expression and laughed.

"Hahaha, you really thought I was going to kiss you! I can't believe you fell for it, nya!" she continued laughing at his expense, causing him to sigh in defeat. She stood as if to put away her dirty dishes, and as Tyson began to turn back toward the stove, the front of his shirt was grasped roughly and tugged so he faced Kuroka once again as the woman's lips crashed into his own.

Surprised at the sudden aggressiveness, Tyson was about to wrap his arms around her before Kuroka broke the kiss with a smirk. "You didn't think I was going to eat your _amazing_ food without paying you back, did you? Besides, I've already marked you as my own." she said, and Tyson tilted his head in confusion.

"Marked? How?"

"The whole licking thing, nya. Did you think I did that just for fun?"

Seeing his deadpan expression, she sweatdropped. "Basically, in nekoshou culture, it's a way of placing your claim on potential mates. To us, it's just as intimate as a kiss." she said, blushing slightly as she clarified her actions.

Tyson raised an eyebrow. "Mates? So basically you want to wife me up, right? You just want to make me slave away at the kitchen every day while you do who knows what." he said with a smirk, accusingly. Kuroka's blush deepened, but she didn't deny it. "Besides, we've only really been friends for a short while. Isn't that going a bit fast?"

"Things move very quickly in the supernatural world, and even more so for nekomata. Because of our low pregnancy rate and even lower successful birth rate, our race is on the verge of extinction. While I'd love nothing more than to eat your cooking all the time, there's more to it than that, nya. You just make me feel something I haven't felt in a very long time." she explained, tails swishing nervously behind her.

"And that would be?..." he prodded, and Kuroka looked up at him with the most honest expression he'd ever seen her with.

"_Safe_."

That single word caused Tyson's eyes to widen considerably and to momentarily forget that he still had food cooking on the stove. As he remembered, he turned down the heat on the burners to avoid scorching the ingredients before turning back to the woman in front of him. She fidgeted slightly under his gaze, and his eyes softened along with a smile.

"The woman who could kick my ass six ways to Sunday likes me because I make her feel 'safe'. Makes sense." he joked, half-heartedly with a chuckle. Kuroka looked genuinely _vulnerable_, something that Tyson would admit he was growing used to. He appreciated that she was willing to open up to him about her fears and her past, and Tyson was more than happy to be a pillar of support for her when necessary.

He approached the nekoshou before wrapping her in his arms, with one around her waist and the other in the back of her hair. His fingers gently threaded through her raven-colored locks as he swayed back and forth to his own tune once again. She rocked with him, and although he couldn't see her face while it was buried in his chest, she smiled.

"I'm sorry. I'm not very good at this whole...'opening up' thing." she whispered. Tyson merely held her tighter in response.

"Ahem," a cough interrupted the two, who broke apart slightly as Vali entered the kitchen. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything." the silver haired man said, unapologetically. Tyson and Kuroka released each other before the chef went back to cooking breakfast. Kuroka placed her dirty dishes near the sink before sitting on the couch in the living room.

"It smells quite good, Tyson. What are you making?" Vali asked, sitting at the kitchen table.

"A bit of everything. How many more are coming?" Tyson asked, turning the burners back up and resuming his ritual.

"Only three more. Bikou should arrive-" he started, as a green teleportation circle appeared and a young man stepped out. "now, apparently." Vali finished as he turned toward the new man. "How was your mission, Bikou?"

Tyson turned to see a man with short brown hair and sharp facial features. He wore traditional Chinese armor, colored red, and carried a red staff in his hands. "Pretty good, boss-man. The fight was boring, but I got the info you wanted." the man named Bikou said, before turning toward the stranger at the kitchen.

"You must be the new guy! Name's Bikou; nice to meetcha!" Bikou exclaimed with a toothy smile and an outstretched hand. Tyson turned his attention fully away from the food to lock eyes with his new teammate and returned the smile.

"Tyson Solomon, likewise."

"Hey hey, I heard you killed Kokabiel with some kind of fire spear thing! You _gotta_ show it to me later, man!" Bikou exclaimed excitedly, before his attention turned toward the food on the stove. He took a big sniff through his nose. "Mmm-mmm~! Something smells de-licious with a capital D! You've got all kinds of good stuff!"

Tyson nodded, finishing up two more plates before walking them over to the table and setting them down in front of the hungry young men. Vali's eyes were noticeably shining, while Bikou was quite literally _drooling_ at the sight of his breakfast. Tyson quickly grabbed silverware for the two before setting them down.

"Enjoy. It isn't much, but I figure you guys would want a break from microwave ramen and sandwiches." Tyson said, chuckling as the two dug into their meals with gusto. The chef was nibbling on his own meal as he continued cooking for the remaining two members who had not arrived yet.

Soon enough, Bikou patted his stomach, satisfied. "Oh man, that hit the spot! I like you already, man!"

Kuroka, who was laying across the couch, poked her head over the side and called out. "Back off, Bikou, he's mine! I've already called dibs!" she said, loud enough to be heard in the kitchen. Bikou deflated, jokingly.

"Aww, and I already had the wedding planned too!"

"Shut it, monkey! I said, _I called dibs!_"

"Tch!" Bikou clicked his tongue in mock annoyance, before chuckling and turning toward his culinary benefactor. "Guess you're off the hook, Tyson. Still though, how the hell did you learn to cook like that?" he asked.

Tyson shrugged, taking a bite of his french toast. "Live alone for a while and you get sick of eating garbage every day. I practiced a bit here and there, then figured out that I like cooking. After that, it came naturally." The monkey merely shrugged.

"Makes sense, but you've got talent for it unlike me. I just throw together whatever works and eat that every day."

Another teleportation circle appeared, this time a gray one. Out of it stepped two individuals. A fairly tall man with long blond hair and a side ponytail, glasses and wearing a suit, and a young woman with similarly blonde hair. She looked to be in her early teen years, wearing what appeared to be a school uniform with a blue witch hat.

"Arthur, Le Fay, did everything go as planned?" Vali asked, still seated at the table. The young man, now named Arthur, stepped forward.

"Yes, Vali. The angels, devils, and fallen angels plan to host a peace summit in two week's time. We'll all be ready to move on your command." he said, giving his report before turning his attention to the man at the stove.

"I don't believe we've been acquainted yet. I am Arthur Pendragon, a descendant of the original King Arthur. It's a pleasure to meet you." Arthur said, giving a formal bow with one hand over his heart. Tyson looked the man up and down for a moment.

"The name's Tyson Solomon. I don't have any fancy titles, but it's great to meet you too." Tyson said, turning his full attention to the blond man for a moment. "A descendant of King Arthur, huh? I bet he'd be upset that his sword was broken into pieces."

Arthur shook his head. "I can't speak for him, but he would at least be happy that one of his descendants inherited his sword." He reached into a pocket dimension before pulling out what appeared to be a regular blade. It was much fancier than most swords, with a golden hilt and a few embellishments along the blade, but compared to other Excalibur fragments it was fairly normal.

"So it's an Excalibur? You'll have to excuse me for not knowing which one it is; I just learned of the supernatural a little over a month ago." Tyson explained, continuing to cook while keeping his attention on the new arrivals.

The girl decided to speak. "That's Excalibur Ruler! It's supposed to be the strongest fragment, closest to the original sword." she clarified, before jumping a bit in remembrance. "Oh! I'm Le Fay Pendragon! I'm a descendant of Morgan Le Fay: a famous magician!" she introduced herself. "It's my utmost pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. Solomon!"

Tyson waved her off. "It's nice to meet you too, Le Fay, but please call me Tyson. I'm not big on formalities. Plus, being called 'Mister' makes me feel old." Kuroka could be heard laughing to herself in the living room.

"You never did say how old you were, Ty! C'mon, tell us!" she called out, teasingly. Tyson sighed before mumbling.

"...Twenty five..."

A few of them raised their eyebrows at that. "You said you just learned of the supernatural right? Do you have a Sacred Gear?" Le Fay asked, head tilted cutely to the side.

"Yeah, I have three actually." he summoned his Sacred Gear, covering his entire right arm in the pauldron from before. "It's a combination of three of Vritra's Sacred Gears, but the primary one is the Blaze Black Flare."

Arthur hummed with a contemplative look on his face. "Interesting. You have several Sacred Gears combined into one, and very powerful ones at that. I can see why Vali chose you to join us."

Tyson was finishing up the last batch of breakfast before he turned toward the two siblings. "If you guys are hungry, I made breakfast. Turns out that I'm the only one who knows how to cook around here." he said, turning to Vali and Bikou with a small glare, while they just shrugged at him.

Le Fay giggled. "We may not be good cooks, but Arthur and I are good at baking! We usually make crumpets on weekends!" Tyson turned to Arthur, who nodded.

"We usually eat them with tea. You're welcome to join us." he offered. Tyson nodded with a smile.

"I'd be happy to. Now," he pulled two steaming plates of food out from the stove before setting them down at the table in front of two empty seats, "eat up while it's still fresh!"

The siblings examined the miniature feast that was set in front of them before eagerly biting into it. Arthur's face showed the most emotion it had since he had arrived, and Le Fay was practically squealing in delight.

"It's so good! How did you make it this good!?" she asked, mouth still full of food. Normally she would have much better manners, and Arthur would have reprimanded her for this, if he wasn't also stuffing his face like a hungry beast.

The chef laughed, but they continued eating until they were finished. "It's really not that hard! I'm surprised none of you have just done a simple internet search to figure out how it's done! That's how I learned, after all." he explained, and all of the people at the table shared a look before shrugging.

"Anyway, when do I get to see your Sacred Gear powers, huh!? I'm literally bursting with excitement here!" Bikou asked. True to his word, he was practically bouncing in his seat like a child filled with energy.

Kuroka walked back into the kitchen. "Maybe this would be a good time to show him what we can do too, nya? He's only seen Vali fight so far." she pointed out, earning a nod from everyone present. Tyson removed his apron before following the group down to the training room in the basement. It was nearly as large as the ones in Grigori, which was surprising considering how few amenities the mansion offered despite its size.

Tyson, after noticing that everyone in the group was looking at him, walked forward. "Guess I'll kick off then." he said, summoning his Blaze Black Flare once again. He created a small black fireball and compressed it into the size of a bullet before adding a bit of heat and flicking it. Where it landed, the small pellet of black flames burst into a miniature inferno like a grenade.

Looking back, nobody was impressed. 'Alright then, time to amp it up.' he thought, creating a larger fireball and shaping it into his fire spear. Adding more and more heat to it, Tyson realized that he was starting to get the hang of the technique. It took nowhere near as much time or as concentration to make it properly.

After finishing, the flaming spear of black and white flames floated in front of his hand. Taking a deep breath, he gripped it in his hand harmlessly before flinging it toward the wall. The spear managed to break through several magical barriers before ending at the final, strongest one. The detonation rocked the foundations of the mansion, and black flames flew from the blast zone like a torrent. Le Fay had created a magical shield that protected them from the worst of the flames, but wherever the small cinders would collide, the shield would flicker and fall for a moment.

Bikou clapped his hands with a smile. "Pretty good! If I got hit with something like that, it'd probably hurt a lot!" he said. Vali and Arthur both nodded.

"It took you some time to make it, so it probably isn't useful in a normal fight. Looks like it drained a decent bit of your stamina as well." Arthur pointed out, and Tyson took a few deep breaths.

"You're right, it takes a lot out of me to make one of those. I'll admit I'm getting better at it, since it's only the third time I've tried it, but I'm not wasting all of my energy on it at once anymore." he said, and Vali chuckled.

"So this is the technique that killed a cadre? It's so simple, but effective."

Le Fay tilted her head as she examined the technique and its effects. "You compressed the flame and increased the heat enough to act more like a spear, right?" she deduced, and Tyson nodded. "With the right amount of balance between the heat and compression, you'll increase the piercing power without taking as much stamina." she said.

Tyson turned toward the young blonde with an inquisitive look. "You know a lot about magic?" he asked, and she nodded. "It's my specialty, actually! I'm a magician! Didn't you see the hat?"

Kuroka was unfazed. "Got anything else up your sleeve? You said you have three Sacred Gears, and that was only one, nya." Tyson sighed before motioning for her to come to him.

"The next one is one I haven't gotten much of a chance to practice with, so I don't know how good it'll be. You said you can feel auras through your senjutsu right?" she nodded, and he approached her before placing his hand on her shoulder. After a call of [**Delete!]**, her eyes snapped open in surprise.

"I-I can't feel anything! It's like you're not even there!" she exclaimed. He released her shoulder and she only became more surprised. "And now you're like a beacon of energy! How are you doing that!?"

Tyson chuckled. "Don't know too much about it myself, actually. The Sacred Gear is called Delete Field, and apparently it has the power to cancel out magical energies. I still have to touch someone to use it, and I haven't had enough time to really improve it. It's hard for me to focus on cancelling magical energies when I have trouble feeling them myself." he explained, and Bikou walked up to him.

"Let's try something. I'll shield myself using my touki, that's senjutsu used to basically create a hard layer around your body, and you try to cancel it out." Bikou said, before a thin layer of hazy white surrounded his entire body. Without using his power, Tyson tapped him.

'It's like I'm tapping a rock! Senjutsu really is incredible!' he said, marveling at the unique power before focusing on using his Sacred Gear.

**[Delete!]**

It took a bit of effort, but it only took an instant for Bikou's touki to vanish completely into thin air. His look of shock joined Kuroka's, while the others looked on in interest.

"Wow, man! As soon as you used your Gear, I couldn't focus my senjutsu or feel any auras anymore! Scary!" he said, chuckling with a hand scratching the back of his head.

Vali stepped forward. "You still have one more Sacred Gear to show us." he said, and Tyson nodded before disintegrating into Vali's own shadow. The man shivered slightly, and Arthur and Le Fay looked slightly surprised.

He jumped between each person's shadow, causing them each to suppress a similar shiver, before he jumped out of Kuroka's shadow and back into the light. Suddenly he held his hand toward the ground and every person's shadow began to bend toward the spot on the ground below his hand.

"That's about all I can do with that one, for now. I've barely had these Sacred Gears for a few days, so my bad if it's nothing impressive. I've had the most practice with the Blaze Black Flare." he said, looking away slightly embarrassed. Kuroka slapped him on the back.

"Don't worry about it, nya! We've had our powers since we were born, and you've only had a month. Vali wouldn't have pulled you along if you didn't have potential." she comforted him with a smile that he returned.

Bikou laughed. "We could always fight you until you can't move anymore! You'll get better one way or another!" he offered, and Tyson crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Pass. I just got finished fighting a cadre yesterday; I need to chill for a bit."

Everyone chuckled at that, before the others showed Tyson what they could do. Vali decided to sit out since he knew that Tyson had watched his fight against Kokabiel.

Kuroka used a combination of devil magic and senjutsu to create blue flames and poison mist. She was also capable of using the same touki that Bikou did. The monkey pulled out his trusty staff before doing a few small katas with it. The staff was able to extend and retract at will, and the strength and speed of his blows were evident in the gusts of wind that came from each swing.

Le Fay conjured up several different magic circles at once, firing off a variety of offensive spells that detonated with multiple effects. She then created a barrier around the group and had Bikou attack it, only for the barrier to withstand several of his attacks before breaking.

Arthur, the last of the group, merely pulled out Excalibur Ruler and made a single swipe. The _air_ tore open, leaving behind a sort of void in midair. From within, Tyson could see swirling colors and an ominous feeling. However, the feeling was almost familiar.

The man whistled. "Damn, you guys are way above me. I'll need to train hard to catch up." he said, and Vali nodded.

"We have plenty of time before we'll be needed, so rest up and train when you can. We'll need you to be constantly improving in case things start to get rough." he said, crossing his arms.

The next few days flew by in a blur for Tyson. Whenever he wasn't sleeping or eating, he was busy training. Occasionally, one of the others would stop in and give him a few pointers or act as a training partner. Kuroka was there the most, simply watching him exercise and slowly improve his abilities.

Whenever he wasn't doing any of those, Tyson was being asked to cook by the residents of the house.

Currently, he was recovering from his afternoon training. He had done a bunch of exercises to strengthen his abilities with Delete Field and Shadow Prison, and had improved his efficiency with the Blaze Black Flare. His fighting skills had improved overall, thanks to Kuroka literally beating him into submission before healing him time and time again.

Now, he could control shadows and create shapes with them. The shadows themselves didn't have any special properties other than being fairly difficult to cut through, so Tyson considered them a work-in-progress.

His proficiency in using his **Delete** had improved, allowing him to cut off someone's ability to use magical energy for 5 seconds with a single touch. He still couldn't do it from a distance, but he called that a success.

Tyson walked up the stairs to grab a bite to eat and rest his body for a short time. He saw Bikou lazing on the couch with the most pained expression Tyson had ever seen on him. Arthur and Le Fay were both relaxing on the nearby chairs, reading books.

"Ugh, I'm _so boooooored_. Why is there nothing we can do around here!?" he complained. Tyson turned his head toward the monkey as he began making himself a ham sandwich.

"You could always be training like me. It'll keep you busy, for sure." he offered. Bikou scoffed.

"I'd rather fight a real opponent than twiddling my thumbs in a basement. It's more exciting that way. We're on-call for the next few days so we can't really go out and cause trouble like we usually can." he said with a yawn. "It's hard for me to sit still for so long."

The blonde girl giggled. "You can say that again, Bikou. I'm surprised you haven't died of boredom yet." she said, hand over her mouth to hide her smirk.

The monkey pouted at her. "You guys can just sit there and read all day, but I'm a man of action! Sitting around like this is the worst thing ever!"

Arthur pushed his glasses higher up his nose. "A 'man of action'? With how little patience you have, you're much closer to 'energetic child'." he chided, earning himself a half-hearted glare from Bikou.

"You guys are mean. Tyson, help me out here man!" the man pleaded, clapping his hands together in a praying motion. The American thought for a few moments before turning toward the monkey.

"You said we're on-call so we can't go out?" Tyson asked, and Bikou nodded. "As long as Vali is with us, we can do whatever we want, right? He's the one we're on-call for."

Bikou nodded and began to get excited at his teammate's thought process.

"Then we just drag Vali with us wherever we go. How good are you guys at long range teleportation?" he asked, and Le Fay perked up. Teleportation was more difficult the farther you wanted to go, due to the decreased accuracy over long range and the increase in magic power required.

"Oh, I'm pretty good at them! We don't usually have to go too far, but I could get us all the way to somewhere in America within about a hundred miles of where you want to be!" she said, bubbly attitude surfacing as she proudly proclaimed her skill.

Tyson nodded with a smile. "Awesome. I've got just the place."

Bikou cocked his head to the side, but an excited smile was plastered on his face. "Where do you want to go!?" he asked.

Tyson smirked at him. "You guys may want to wear something warm."

In the mountains of Switzerland, a light blue teleportation circle appeared before depositing a group of people into the harsh cold. A gust of frosty wind blew past them, causing several of them to shiver.

"H-h-holy shit! When you said to dress warm you weren't kidding!" Kuroka said, shivering underneath her heavy jacket and warm pants. Bikou was not much better, covered in a thick layer of wool from his coat. Le Fay and Arthur shivered slightly from the wind, but their burkas kept them fairly warm in the winter.

Vali scowled, dressed in a light jacket and dark jeans. He shivered horribly.

"I can't believe I agreed to this shit." he said angrily, teeth chattering. Tyson chuckled as he heated himself underneath his jacket using his black flames. He had gotten skilled enough to prevent his flames from burning something if he didn't want them to.

"Don't be so negative! You're in one of the best spots on Earth for today's activity! Besides, I did warn you to dress warmer!" he exclaimed, far too cheerful for the current atmosphere.

"And _what_, _might I ask,_ is the activity that requires us to be in the middle of _fucking nowhere!?_" Vali shouted, echoing between the mountain peaks. Tyson smirked before creating a summoning circle beside himself.

A long, flat board that curled at the edges appeared in his hand, along with a pair of boots which he quickly put on his feet. After strapping his feet to the board, he smirked at the fuming Hakuryuukou. Arthur smirked as well, while Le Fay looked as if she couldn't contain her excitement. Kuroka, Bikou, and Vali all looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"We're going snowboarding in the Swiss Alps!" he announced, arms spread wide.

Silence...

"What the hell is _snowboarding,_ nya?" Kuroka asked, still hugging herself to keep warm. Tyson laughed out loud. "Have you guys seriously never heard of skiing or snowboarding? I would have thought you'd know what this is."

Bikou shrugged. "I've never heard of it before. Some of the things humans do for enjoyment really confuse me."

Le Fay giggled. "It's actually really fun, Bikou! You basically ride a board made of wood down the mountain. You can only do it where there's snow, so it's a fun activity for the winter months!" she explained, happily.

Vali's scowl deepened. "That sounds stupid."

Arthur chuckled before summoning a snowboard for himself, as Le Fay summoned her set of skis and poles. "You'd be surprised at what humans call fun, Vali. At least give it a shot before you teleport home." he said, and Vali gave an angry sigh of defeat.

"Fine, I'll try your stupid snowboarding thing. Where the hell is Tyson?" he asked, looking around. He had somehow managed to vanish without a sound, only to reappear a minute later holding three snowboards along with boots.

"I went to the lodge near the bottom of the mountain and picked you guys up some rentals. Luckily, the girl spoke French so I actually knew what she was saying." Tyson laughed softly to himself as he handed a board and a pair of boots to each of the three beginners.

Bikou began to look a bit excited.

Vali looked uncertain.

Kuroka looked cold.

After a quick explanation of what they needed to do, Tyson prepared himself at the edge of the mountain peak. Arthur and Le Fay soon followed, placing their snowboard and skis at the very tip of the mountain at the ready.

Tyson turned toward the three newbies before smirking. "Last one to the bottom has to eat Bikou's cooking!" he shouted before pushing himself over the edge and down the mountain with a hearty laugh. Arthur and Le Fay laughed together as they, too, began their descent.

Kuroka's eyes widened as she peeked over the edge, watching the three humans quickly sliding down the side of the mountain. Not wanting to be subjected to the monkey's awful culinary skills, she nervously pushed herself over the edge. She shook back and forth in an attempt to keep her balance, but she was moving _far_ too quickly to control herself. However, after watching Tyson weave back and forth, she began to find that doing so kept her speed at a manageable level.

Bikou was spouting obscenities before he literally jumped over the mountain's peak, struggling to keep himself upright. It only took a few moments for him to adopt a wild grin and cheer at the top of his lungs.

"_WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" _The sound echoed through the mountains.

Vali looked at them and scoffed, teetering on the edge before letting himself drift down the side of the mountain. He, too, struggled to maintain his balance, but after a few seconds of acceleration...

...he fell flat on his face, sliding down the mountain before eventually coming to a stop.

The Hakuryuukou lifted himself out of the snow, brushing the powder from his face and standing back up for another attempt. However, he saw this as a challenge. Soon enough, he was flying down the mountain at speeds that only professionals could handle.

Tyson saw the silver haired man scream past him with a wide grin on his face. He slowed to a stop before looking up the mountain at his teammates. Each and every one of them was smiling as they enjoyed the beauty of nature and the exhilarating physical activity.

Several hours later, the sun was beginning to set. The group had traveled halfway down the mountain and were now sitting at one of the ski lodges located on the mountainside. It was dinnertime, so they decided to purchase their meal along with a few drinks at a local bar.

The group talked amicably and excitedly about their experience, smiling and laughing about their journey down the mountain. Even Vali appeared to have enjoyed his introduction into winter sports, as he smiled while holding a mug of hot chocolate to his lips.

"Oh man, that was awesome! Tyson, you are officially the event planner of the group and my new personal favorite!" Bikou exclaimed before downing an entire bottle of beer. The alcohol warmed his body as his cheeks flushed. Kuroka laughed along with him, taking sips of her sake dish gingerly.

"He's right, nya. Who would have thought something so simple would be so much fun?"

Everyone turned to Vali, who averted his eyes. "It was a worthwhile use of time, I suppose." he admitted, and the group smiled.

Soon, their food arrived and they dug in happily. Tyson joined Kuroka and Bikou in drinking alcohol, and eventually they roped Vali into joining them. The man had apparently never tasted alcohol before, and he despised the taste. In the end, the three drinkers had conspired together through whispers before ordering the Hakuryuukou's next beverage.

To Vali's surprise, he rather liked the taste of the fruity, sweet drink they had bought him. He couldn't read the drink menu, since supernaturals could only understand spoken language, but from what Tyson told him this was called a 'sex on the beach'. Ironic, since they were about as far from the beach as one could get. The blonde magician blushed at the drink's name.

Arthur only drank a single glass of wine, and Le Fay sipped on her cup of hot cocoa timidly. She was the only one below the legal drinking age of 16 for beer in Switzerland, but even with Kuroka's 'persuasion' of the waiters to ignore their lack of ID, she chose a simple glass of water. To the regular people, the nekoshou looked like nothing more than a hot cosplayer.

By the time they had all finished eating and were ready to go home, Tyson, Bikou, Kuroka, and even Vali had finished a large quantity of alcoholic beverages. Empty beer bottles and shot glasses littered the table as the food had long been taken away by the wait staff.

Bikou hiccuped randomly, giggling to himself and everything happening. Kuroka's eyes were set into a nearly permanent seductive gaze that had most men in the area breathing a bit heavier. Tyson, the oldest of the group and most experienced with alcohol by far, handled himself well while laughing at the others.

Vali was plastered.

The silver haired Hakuryuukou looked around blankly as if seeing the world for the first time, and he slurred his words like a drunken sailor. Tyson and Bikou couldn't help laughing at the man, while Arthur and Le Fay both looked embarrassed to be around a group of drunks. Kuroka was too busy staring at Tyson to bother with whatever was going on around her.

As Vali tried to stand up from his chair, he stumbled before falling backward. Luckily, Arthur had the foresight to see this coming and snagged the man's arm to prevent him from crashing to the ground. "I think that's enough for tonight. Perhaps we should go home before we become more of a nuisance here." the blond man said, to which Tyson nodded.

"Not a bad idea. I think we've had enough fun here, and it looks like it might be bedtime for the White Dragon over here." he chuckled as Vali's face was flushed from the liquor. "Le Fay, do you mind sending us back home?"

"Of course!" she replied, a little too eager to be away from the current situation. Tyson decided to pick up the bill since he had the reward from his recent mission to fall back on, and they group made their way outside to an inconspicuous location before opening up a teleportation circle to get back home.

As they reappeared inside the living room, Vali rushed toward a bathroom. Tyson chuckled again. "Well, I guess he'll know why alcohol is bad now. Welcome to adulthood, I guess. Who wants to watch a movie?"

Everyone expressed their approval as they stripped off their heavy clothing. Bikou laid down on the couch, taking up the entire space. Arthur and Le Fay both took their places in their respective chairs. Kuroka dragged Tyson over to the couch, shoving Bikou's legs aside and sitting down with her legs curled up beside her to lay her head against Tyson's shoulder.

"What kind of movie are we gonna watch, nya?" she asked, huskily into Tyson's ear. "If I may make a suggestion..." she trailed off, smirking.

Tyson turned to her and shook his head. "Le Fay is too young to be watching a porn movie, Kuroka." The woman pouted, and the magician girl's face darkened immensely. "Aww, but her expressions would be so cute!" the nekoshou complained.

Arthur glared at the cat. "I will not allow you to corrupt my dear sister so early in her teen years. Besides, such a movie should be watched in the privacy of one's room, not with a group." he said, to which Tyson agreed whole-heartedly.

Bikou yawned once, before a hiccup interrupted his yawn, causing him to giggle. "What about a scary movie?" he offered, and Tyson expressed his interest. Arthur, however, flinched. Le Fay looked at her brother before giggling.

"Onii-sama doesn't like scary movies. He gets scared too easily."

"I don't get scared! The suspense is just really effective!"

"Sure, Onii-sama..."

Tyson put a hand to his chin in thought. "What about a comedy? Nothing ends a day better than a bit of laughter." he offered. "I figure action movies would be kinda boring since they're just doing the stuff we do every day."

Everyone agreed that a comedy was their best bet. After flicking through channels, Tyson eventually landed on one that seemed promising. Although the movies he found were old compared to what he was used to in his own world, he recognized a few names.

About two hours later, it was late into the night and everyone headed off to bed. Arthur and Le Fay were the first, going to their separate rooms to retire immediately after the movie had ended. Bikou was fast asleep on the couch, while Kuroka and Tyson were laying together chatting.

Eventually Tyson decided it was time for bed and he hoisted the woman into his arms before making his way upstairs. Kuroka wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her, and she laid her head on his shoulder. Occasionally, she would take advantage of her position to lick his neck or nibble on one of his earlobes, causing the man to blush furiously.

Tyson had moved to drop Kuroka off in her own room and go to his own now that he had one, but the nekomata refused to let go of him. Eventually Tyson tried to lay the woman down on her bed by leaning over it and release her arms from around his neck, but she held fast. After a minute of resistance, the man relented and allowed himself to be dragged onto the cat's bed.

She gave him no chance to get comfortable before she re-wrapped herself as close as she could around his body. If even a single inch of her body was not touching his, it was too much.

The two soon adjusted their position until they could sleep normally. Soon, Kuroka's bites and licks turned into kisses. Tyson was holding himself back, thinking it was still going too quickly, but his slightly drunken mind and his bulging erection told him to throw caution to the wind. He started reciprocating the woman's ministrations, to which she gave a throaty moan.

Soon, their lips locked once more. Their touches became more frantic and rough, grasping at the other with a _need_ that couldn't be satisfied without feeling every inch of the other's body. More sensitive areas were touched, which would elicit a moan of pleasure from the owner.

Tyson had experienced sex before, so this was nothing new to him no matter how pleasurable it was,

Kuroka, however, felt all kinds of emotions she had never known before. Her mind was reeling as it tried to cope with the hormones flooding her system, and she loved every second of it. Every moment, every one of his touches, every sound the two made, _everything_ was a new experience that she accepted with open arms. They would break their lip lock just long enough for the two to catch their breath before they resumed.

However, as things started to get more intense and the touches started becoming more meaningfully directed at _certain_ areas, Tyson pulled away. They were breathing heavily, still locked in each others' arms. Kuroka's tails flicked erratically, and her face was flushed from the rush of emotions.

"What's wrong? Why'd you stop?" she asked, out of breath. Tyson, also out of breath, sighed and looked away for a moment.

"I just...think it's too soon, is all." he admitted, to which Kuroka frowned slightly. "I like you a lot, Kuroka, but I don't mess around when it comes to sex. I've hurt too many people with this, and I refuse to let you be one of those people who-" he was silenced by a finger placed on his lips.

Kuroka was smiling softly at him as her tail swished more calmly before laying itself over his legs. "Shh, I know what you mean. But..." she averted her gaze for a moment. "When I'm with you, I feel..._something_. I'm not good at this whole 'having feelings for someone' thing." she said, vulnerably.

"I don't mind being flirty or playful, but I've never actually...you know... _loved_ anyone before. My sister doesn't count, obviously. I have no idea what I'm doing, to be honest. This is all just instinct." she admitted, to which Tyson smiled and chuckled at her.

"You're so certain this is love even if you don't know what it's like?"

"If it isn't, then what is it? Why do I feel like you're everything that matters to me right now? Why do I feel so..._happy_ just to be here, with you?"

Her question caught him slightly off guard, and any response he had was stuck in his throat. His eyes widened as he looked at her blushing expression. "Kuroka...I had no idea it was that serious." he said, surprised. Her blush only darkened as she nodded.

"I know I'm not experienced at this...but I want to give it a shot. I feel like you _get_ me, you know? You've heard everything about me and you're still here with your stupid smile and your warm arms, and I just want to stay like this forever."

Tyson hummed in response, smiling. "Are you sure you're not drunk?"

She shook her head. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little bit, but I felt like this before today."

"As long as you're sure this is what you want, I'll be here with you no matter what." he said, and Kuroka smiled before kissing him again. As the kisses became heated once again, Tyson pulled away. Kuroka pouted.

"Buuuuuut, I think it's time for bed, don't you?" he said, teasingly before removing his clothes down to his underwear and crawling under the covers. Kuroka huffed, stripping off her shirt and kicking off her long pants, leaving her in only her matching black bra and panties.

She noticed his gaze linger on her large chest for a moment before she decided to have a little revenge. Her tail swished playfully as she turned her back toward him, kneeling on the bed. "Can you help me get this off?" she asked, turning her head to him with a smirk.

Tyson's face burned, but he was not one to disappoint a woman in need. He leaned up before grasping the two ends of the nekoshou's bra and gently unhooking it. The woman held her bra to her chest while smirking at him. She scooted backward before crawling under the blankets and turning away from him, not allowing the man to see her majestic mounds.

When he moved closer to embrace her from behind, Kuroka's smirk became even more teasing, if that were possible. "Oh? You're being awfully forward considering you just turned down my offer for sex, nya. I don't think you deserve to see or touch these puppies." she said, haughtily.

Tyson inched backward, chuckling at her. "Says the one who was ready to have sex after getting to know me a few days ago. I think I deserve quite a bit."

She put her finger to her chin, pretending to think about it for a moment. "Mmmmm, I don't know, nya. You would be the first one to see me naked, then in Japanese culture I wouldn't be able to get married."

"Wouldn't be a problem if I was the one you married, would it?"

That seemed to be the response she was looking for as she spun around and pressed her 'Kurokas' into the side of his chest, wrapping her arms around him.

"I guess we'll have to find out, nya."


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey everyone! This is Chapter 9. It took a bit longer to write both because of weekends being booked with weddings and stuff, and a tough choice on which direction to take the story from here. Lots of small details I needed to choose and stick with for the remainder of the story, so I did a lot of pro-con debates. However, it resulted in a VERY long chapter with lots of detail, so I'm not upset.**

**Regardless, I'd like to thank everyone who takes the time to write a review of the story. Your feedback (both positive, negative, or questioning) is always appreciated and helps me determine whether I'm on the right path with my ideas. Although I enjoy writing, I like to bring something that you - my audience - enjoys reading. I'm using my experiences here to write my own book that may hopefully become published, so I'm trying to revise and improve my writing style dramatically before I begin on that.**

**Enough about me and my thoughts though. Story time!**

"Hello" - Words

'Hello' - Thoughts

_Hello_ \- Emphasis

**[Hello] **\- Abilities/Magic spells

**["Hello"]** \- Heavenly Dragon voice

**['Hello'] **\- Heavenly Dragon thoughts

**Feel free to review!**

_Tyson was floating within an endless void. All kinds of different colors swirled randomly around him in confusing patterns, and he felt absolutely nothing. Even as he remained motionless, he could feel nothing, hear nothing, smell nothing, and taste nothing. If it weren't for the blur of colors, he would see nothing either._

'_What is this place?...' Tyson wondered to himself. He had attempted to say the words out loud, but his voice did not produce any sound._

_What felt like a short eternity to Tyson was mere moments. Suddenly, he felt a slight rumbling in the air, or whatever he was floating in. The rumbling grew until it felt like the entire world was shaking from an earthquake of unimaginable power._

_Tyson felt like his entire being was rattled, as a massive portal appeared in front of him. From it, a red dragon of incredible size flew out. It had two pairs of large wings on its back, and a horn jutting from its head. Huge, green eyes locked onto his form in interest._

"_Hmm, so you come at last." a deep voice penetrated his mind, and Tyson fought the urge to flee. His body was paralyzed, unable to move, but this did not stop him from wanting to run in the opposite direction with everything he could muster._

_A guttural laugh permeated the air. "Do not fear me, young human. I am as little a threat to you, as you are to me. After all, I have seen your dreams back from the world you came from." the dragon said, before turning its head away from Tyson._

"_Perhaps your new dreams will fill me with more power than ever before..." it said, before vanishing into another portal._

The sound of sizzling omelets on the stovetop resounded throughout the kitchen as Tyson cooked the following morning. He kept a smile plastered to his face the whole time, recalling his experiences the day before.

'I'm glad everyone enjoyed themselves. I'm sure Vali is going to feel like hell today, but he needs to loosen up every once in awhile.' he thought to himself, flipping the egg with a spatula. 'Apparently I got myself a girlfriend too. Who would have thought?'

However, his mind went back to the dream he had the night prior. 'What the hell was that thing? That dragon was massive, and it talked as if it knew who I was. And what was up with it saying it's seen my dreams, or whatever? So strange...'

He was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of unsteady footsteps. "Ugh, remind me never to listen to any of your ideas _ever again_." came the voice of Vali, who looked like he had been awake all night. His droopy eyes and pale complexion were indicative of his hangover.

"You say that, but you had a blast until we got home. Sometimes a little hangover is the price for a good time." Tyson responded, chuckling slightly as the Hakuryuukou gave him the middle finger before sitting down at the table. The silver haired man allowed his head to rest on the tabletop.

"Anyway, we've got our next mission. Since you haven't met her yet, Ophis will be coming here shortly." Vali said. Tyson grabbed a pre-made beverage out of the fridge before handing it to the sick man, who looked between the drink and its holder skeptically.

The American shook the blue drink and extended it closer to the other man. "Don't worry, there's no alcohol in this. It's a sports drink to help you get over your hangover quicker."

No sooner had he finished his sentence that the drink was snatched from his hand and Vali gulped it down greedily. The White Dragon Emperor let out a satisfied sigh as he set the empty bottle down, and Tyson threw it into the trash.

"So who's this Ophis? You haven't really told me much about our little group besides the fact that we're all apparently 'special individuals'." Tyson asked, continuing to cook. Vali nodded, head returning to the kitchen table.

"We're called the Khaos Brigade, and we have a single goal at this time: to defeat Great Red. He's called many things: Dragon of Dragons, Dragon of Dreams, Dragon of the Apocalypse, and the True Red Dragon God. Ophis is the Dragon God of Infinity, or the Ouroboros Dragon."

Tyson stared at him with wide eyes. "So you're saying there are Dragon _Gods_? Seems a little overpowered to me." Inwardly, he was panicking. 'Is that what I saw in my dream? Dragon of Dreams sounds pretty accurate, considering how strange it would be for me to imagine that on my own.'

Vali nodded again. "They are the two strongest existences, period. Dragons in general have been feared by all mythologies, but Great Red and Ophis combined could possibly take down every single God of every mythology." Tyson sweatdropped.

"And one of those dragons is coming _here_?" he asked, incredulously. "How the hell is she going to fit?"

"I do not possess the same restrictions as other beings. That is how."

Tyson jumped as a voice came from behind him. It was a young girl's voice, emotionless and empty. He turned to see a young, black haired girl in a lolita outfit. For whatever reason, it appeared to cover everything except her tiny breasts, which were covered only on the nipples by small black X's.

"O-oh. Hello, didn't see you there." Tyson said, sweating slightly. Despite not being able to feel any sort of power from the girl, he deduced that _this_ was Ophis.

Vali stood, no longer looking sickly but fully healthy once again. "Ah, Ophis. You're right on time. This is Tyson Solomon, our newest member." the Hakuryuukou said, introducing the man who waved.

"My name is Ophis. It seems Vritra has joined us." she replied, flatly. Tyson didn't know how to respond to something so simple after he was already introduced.

"Yeah, Vritra is here. Nice to meet you, Ophis." he said, awkwardly. She only nodded, staring blankly at him. Although it appeared she was examining him closely, she was really only looking at him with her usual expression.

"So..." Tyson started, "you don't exactly look like a dragon to me." Vali shook his head.

"Ophis is a true shapeshifter, able to change her form however she wants. She used to take the form of an old man, but recently she chose this appearance instead. She has not told me her reason, though."

The dragon turned her attention to the White Dragon. "It is more comfortable." she said, simply. Tyson shrugged.

"So, Ophis. Vali was just telling me a bit of your story with this Great Red guy. Do you mind explaining it to me?" Tyson asked, finishing up an omelet before setting it in front of Vali to eat. Ophis stared at the meal with a tilted head and an adorably confused expression. Tyson swore he could see '?' floating off of the girl's head as she examined the food with a small drop of drool hanging out of her mouth.

The girl shook her head slightly before looking at the human again, but her eyes could be seen occasionally flicking toward Vali's breakfast as he devoured it hungrily. "Great Red makes too much noise in the dimensional gap. I want my silence back." she said, causing Tyson to raise an eyebrow.

"What's the dimensional gap? I could guess, but I might be totally off." he asked, starting another omelet for their guest. Vali took a moment between bites to clarify.

"The dimensional gap is the place between Heaven, Earth, and the Underworld. It's an endless void that destroys anyone and anything in it unless they have special magical protection. Arthur's Excalibur is one of the few things capable of this." the silver haired man said.

Tyson turned to resume cooking as he looked over his shoulder. "Any chance the dimensional gap can bring someone from, say, a parallel dimension of Earth?" he asked, slightly hopeful. Ophis shook her head.

"I am not sure. I have no memory of someone being brought to this Earth from another, but it is far from impossible." she said, taking a seat as Tyson dropped a plate full of food in front of her. Although her expression did not change much, the slight widening of her eyes as she began to eat with her hands told Tyson everything he needed to know.

"Was worth a shot I suppose. So, Great Red is basically a bully who stole your home?" Tyson asked, continuing to cook idly as he spoke. Ophis nodded mid-bite.

"Yes. Your description of him is far more accurate than you know."

Tyson hummed in response. "And you want to kill him so you can have your home back, right?" he asked, and she nodded again. "What's so special about the dimensional gap that you couldn't just stay somewhere else?"

The girl finished eating far quicker than Tyson expected. "It's quiet, and I can be alone there."

Tyson raised an eyebrow. "You just want to be alone in a quiet place? Why not just build yourself a soundproof room and sit in there when you want to be alone?" he asked, and the girl tilted her head to the side.

"A room without sound? Made with magic?"

Tyson shook his head. "Humans can make them without magic. Basically the walls absorb all the sound so you can barely hear anything while you're inside. Wouldn't that be easier than trying to kill Great Red?"

Ophis put her finger to her chin in thought. "The dimensional gap is endless, and that would be only a single room in a house." she thought out loud. "I suppose it is an acceptable alternative if the Khaos Brigade fails."

Vali turned to her in slight shock. "You would be okay with that? Just sitting alone in some human-made room for eternity?" he asked, surprised. She nodded at him.

"The Khaos Brigade is loud and managing it is tiresome. I will consider your proposal, but we will continue as planned for now." the dragon said. Vali, now finished with his breakfast, picked up the two plates and put them in the sink.

"And what are our orders?" he asked.

"You are to recruit the remaining dragon kings if possible. Their assistance would prove most helpful against Great Red." she said, kicking her legs slightly since her legs were not long enough for her feet to touch the floor.

"How exactly are we supposed to stand any kind of chance against Great Red, anyway? I feel like any normal being would only get in your way during a fight." Tyson pointed out, to which Vali shook his head.

"Great Red may be one of the strongest beings to ever exist, but he's not invulnerable. My personal goal is to be strong enough to kill him, with or without help." the Hakuryuukou said. Tyson pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.

"Well, apparently I've got a bit of 'dragon' in me too so I may as well help. I don't see a reason to kill him, just get him to leave the dimensional gap and our mission is accomplished. He's gotta have something he wants."

Ophis shook her head. "As long as I've known him, Great Red only enjoys his 'stunts'. He flies through dimensions at incredible speeds, rupturing them in the process. The entire dimensional gap shudders from the dimensions being destroyed." Tyson was wide-eyed.

"He can destroy _dimensions_? Vali, we have a hell of a long way to go if we want to be able to survive a fight against something like that!" he remarked, to which Vali gave a manic smirk.

"Exactly. I aim to become the True White Dragon Emperor, stronger than any other dragon to ever exist. It is my one and only objective in life, and I have thousands of years to do it."

Tyson scoffed. "You might have thousands of years since you're part devil, but I'm just a human. With this kind of lifestyle, I've got maybe a solid thirty to forty years before I tap out." he said, crossing his arms.

Ophis held her hand out, creating a purple snake that coiled around her arm. "You could allow Vritra to turn parts of your body into a dragon's. If enough of your body is draconic, your lifespan will increase drastically." Tyson shook his head.

"I think I'll pass on that for now. Last time he did that my arm burned like hell."

"Suit yourself, but you are necessary for our plans to succeed. Whether you believe yourself big or small in the grand scheme is irrelevant. With the angels, fallen, and devils preparing for peace, the Khaos Brigade's efforts will directly oppose that peace." Ophis said, forcing the snake to disappear in a burst of purple energy.

Tyson narrowed his eyes. "You mean we're going to be fighting against everyone in the Three Factions?" he asked, lowly. He did not like the sound of that one bit.

Vali nodded. "Yes. Although our current goal is to defeat Great Red, the original purpose of the Khaos Brigade is to oppose the growing threat of an alliance between the mythologies. After the Great War, the Khaos Brigade was created from a variety of groups. The Old Satan faction was made up of the original devil kings and their underlings. The Hero faction was formed by a group of descendants of human heroes, who generally wield powerful Sacred Gears. The final group is the Magician faction, made up of human magicians exiled from their councils."

Tyson's head spun at the amount of new information, and if he wasn't nervous before, he was now. "Hold up. If we're fighting against peace between the mythologies, aren't we hindering our own progress for fighting Great Red? Wouldn't it make more sense to have more allies rather than enemies?" he asked.

Vali shook his head. "The Old Satan faction is far too prideful and resentful to allow the current devil kings to continue their reign, and the Hero faction is fanatically dedicated to destroying 'evil beings' like fallen angels, devils, and dragons." he said, crazy smirk returning and a bit of insanity reaching his eyes. "Besides, the more strong enemies I face, the more fun this world becomes."

Tyson looked at his partner with a raised eyebrow. "You're really going to go all out with this, aren't you?" he asked, earning a nod from the Hakuryuukou. He sighs deeply. "As long as we keep our involvement in the war between factions to a minimum, I'll go along with you guys. We're here to beat Great Red, right? Let's focus on that and see where it takes us." he offered, and Ophis and Vali both nodded.

"Glad to have you on board, but you know we're going to fight the Sekiryuutei and his friends eventually. If I can't trust you to be on our side when that happens, then you may as well leave." Vali said, crossing his arms and glaring at the Vritra host. "Keep in mind that our team is independent of the rest of the Khaos Brigade, and directly under Ophis' command. As much as I enjoy a good fight, I'm not here to single-handedly start a war. I wouldn't have attacked Kokabiel if I was."

Tyson rubbed his temple to relieve his slight headache. "Alright fine. As long as we're not in the center of the war I'm in. I have no reason to attack the Three Factions, and I've made plenty of friends among the devils and fallen angels and I'd rather not piss them off."

Vali smiled at him. "Deal. For now, let's get everyone together and head for the Familiar Forest where Tiamat lives." Tyson nodded in response, and Ophis stood from her chair.

"We will speak the next time you are needed." Ophis said, before opening up a dark portal and vanishing into it. Tyson and Vali shared a look before the Hakuryuukou spoke.

"I suppose I need to explain a bit more, now that Ophis is gone." he started, combing a hand through his silver hair and sighing. "The Khaos Brigade is technically controlled by Ophis, but the Old Satan faction and the Hero faction like to do whatever they want most of the time. Any time they can cause problems for the Three Factions, they'll do so. We're not part of that in any way, and I have no intention of attacking the devils, angels, or fallen directly. We can accomplish our goal without that. My only target is Issei Hyoudou, the Sekiryuutei."

Tyson let out a breath of relief. "Good to hear. As much as I'd rather you two not try to kill each other, I guess it's inevitable. Why couldn't you tell me that with Ophis around?" he asked, stance relaxing as he leaned against the counter.

"Despite her current appearance, Ophis is unbelievably powerful. However, if you haven't noticed, she lacks the ability to truly comprehend emotions. Because of this, and her lack of social skills, she is very easily manipulated. Your example of the soundproof room is a testament to that." Vali explained. Tyson nodded at him as he began washing the dishes in the sink.

"I was wondering why she hadn't thought of that before. So she's extremely strong and intelligent, but she's naive." he said, to which Vali hummed in agreement.

"Yes. I worry that the rest of the Khaos Brigade, specifically the Old Satan faction, will try to manipulate her into doing what they want. They'll stop at nothing to kill the current Maou and sew chaos throughout the underworld. Ophis' plan to defeat Great Red probably isn't even on their radar."

Tyson narrowed his eyes. "Are you sure we can go along with this, then? Wouldn't it be smarter for us to ally with the Three Factions, or even some of the other mythologies? We'd arguably have more loyal allies, better enemies to fight, and a purpose that's more than just 'we don't like those guys so we're gonna kill em'." he proposed, to which Vali shook his head.

"More loyal allies, maybe, but it would be much less fun. If the factions all achieve peace, then there will be no true battles. There may be small skirmishes, but those can't even come close to the excitement of a life and death fight. We need to be as strong as possible for when we finally fight Great Red, and peace is the bane of all warriors."

Tyson sighed, exasperated. "Alright, alright. We'll go along with that then. You're the boss. Just keep in mind that I'm not a big fan of life or death situations if I can avoid them."

Vali chuckled. "Good."

Tyson looked down at the ground for a moment, before taking a deep breath. "I have something I need to mention, as well." he started, grabbing the Hakuryuukou's attention. "I had a dream about Great Red last night."

Vali's eyebrows raised. "You did? It is extraordinarily rare for him to visit someone's dreams on a whim." he remarked, and Tyson nodded.

"Yeah. He said something about seeing my dreams from my original world, and how my dreams give him power. I don't know how it all works, but he obviously knows something about me. I have to find out the truth." he said, clenching his fist resolutely. Vali hummed in thought.

"That is intriguing. Perhaps when we defeat him, he will tell you how you got here and why."

"That's exactly what I was thinking. Guess I'm in this for the long haul, then."

Several hours later, a teleportation circle appeared within a dark forest, dropping the Vali team onto soft dirt and grass. Tyson looked around for a few moments in awe at the towering trees and the purple-red sky beyond the leaves.

"Woah...so this is called the Familiar Forest? Where exactly are we?" he asked, eyes widened in wonder. Kuroka giggled at him.

"We're in a section of the underworld that's home to a variety of creatures. Devils tend to come here to form contracts with some of them and make them their familiars, which can be summoned to perform different tasks. Tiamat, the Chaos Karma Dragon, lives somewhere in this forest." she explained, and Tyson whistled.

"So this is the underworld? I guess Azazel was right; it really isn't all fire and brimstone like we've heard."

Bikou chuckled. "I still can't believe that's what humans get taught these days. I'm sure heaven is pretty and all, but the underworld is pretty nice too you know."

Vali looked around for a few moments before narrowing his eyes in a specific direction in front of him. "This way. I can smell her." he said, beginning to walk deeper into the forest. The rest of the group followed, doing their best to avoid tripping over stray roots or stumps.

Le Fay jumped slightly as a small fox creature hesitantly approached and sniffed her. The others stopped for a moment to watch the exchange. The girl allowed it to smell her for a few seconds before she slowly reached down to try to pet it. However, it leapt backward in alarm before scurrying off.

"Aww, and it was cute too." she remarked, sighing. Vali huffed. "We're here to find a dragon king, not play with the local wildlife."

"Ah, yes! Of course!" Le Fay responded, rushing to catch up to the man who had continued to walk away. After nearly half an hour of walking, Tyson had noticed that many small creatures appeared to be following him as well.

Deciding to see what kind of things lived in the underworld, he stopped walking. As everyone turned toward him, he waved them off. "Go ahead for a little bit, I want to see what's been tailing us for a while." he said, and everyone kept moving until they were about 30 meters away. Tyson stood still, hands in his pockets.

Soon, a small rat-like creature appeared before nervously approaching him. Tyson looked at it with a curious expression, and it sniffed his feet for a moment before curling up and sitting down beside him. A young cat emerged from the bushes before following suit. Roughly five minutes later, Tyson was surrounded by creatures of all kinds. He decided to take a seat, allowing some of them to sniff his hands or face.

A fox, similar to the one that had approached Le Fay earlier, licked his cheek and he chuckled before patting its head lightly. "Cute little thing, aren't you?" he said, quietly to not disturb the animals. The rest of the group was staring at the man who seemed to attract the creatures like a beacon.

Le Fay pouted, crossing her arms. "It's not fair. Why do they like him and not me?" she asked, rhetorically. Kuroka giggled at her.

"You can't feel his aura the same way we can. Bikou, you know what I mean, right?"

The monkey nodded. "Sure can. Can't help but like the guy from that alone. Someone's aura can tell a lot about who they are, and Ty radiates peace like nobody I've ever seen before. There's strength underneath it all, but he's like a beacon of light in terms of his aura."

Arthur hummed in response. "So he's basically a magnet for youkai and small critters?" he asked, adjusting his glasses. Kuroka clasped her hands behind her head, relaxed.

"Yep. I'm not really surprised that they took a liking to him, especially when he knows exactly how to treat them. They would normally be scared, but he's completely relaxed. I'm a bit jealous myself." she said, before smirking and masking her presence using senjutsu.

The nekoshou slowly approached the man from behind, doing her best not to frighten any of the creatures that were laying around him. Suddenly, Tyson flinched as a pair of arms wrapped around him from behind and Kuroka's voice whispered into his ear.

"You know, if you give them all your attention, I might start to get jealous." she said huskily, tail swishing playfully behind her. Tyson chuckled before leaning his head back and kissing the woman's cheek, causing her to blush slightly. "That'll be the day. They're so comfortable around me; is it because of my aura or whatever you were talking about?" he asked, to which the woman nodded.

"Sure is. You enjoying yourself while we're supposed to be on the hunt for a dragon king?" she asked, and Tyson flinched at her too-sweet smile.

"Y-yeah..." he admitted, embarrassed. The man stood up slowly as to not disturb the animals before walking with Kuroka back to the group and turning to Vali. "Sorry about that, guess I got a bit carried away. You said Tiamat is this way, right?"

The Hakuryuukou nodded. "Yes. She's not too far from where we are now, so let's get moving."

It only took a few more minutes before Vali stopped at the entrance to a massive cave. "We're here." he said as an ear-splitting roar tore through the forest. Birds and other flying creatures scattered from the trees and any of the critters that had continued to follow the group bolted at the sound.

Tyson heard the flapping of large wings, and he looked up to see a massive blue western dragon descending in front of them. His eyes widened at the sheer size of the beast, and he instinctively took a step backward. Every flap of its wings was like a small tornado that threatened to throw him off of his feet.

The dragon landed on the ground, bright blue eyes blazing in fury. "Why have you come to this place!?" she shouted, before roaring once more as a show of dominance over her territory.

Vali took a step forward, hands in his pockets. "Hello, Chaos Karma Dragon. I am the Hakuryuukou, Vali Lucifer. This is my team." he said, introducing himself as well as the rest of his group. Tiamat's eyes flickered between them before her gaze found itself once again on the silver haired man.

"You did not answer my question, White Dragon." she said, eyes narrowing.

"Ophis, the Orouboros, wishes for us to assist her in destroying Great Red so she can reclaim the dimensional gap for herself. We are here to request your assistance in this matter." Vali said, confidently. Tiamat lowered her head until her large snout was only feet away from the man.

"Great Red is not someone that can be defeated so easily by humans and devils with Sacred Gears. Fighting him is a fool's errand."

Vali shook his head. "Ophis herself is nearly strong enough to fight Great Red on equal terms, but the assistance of the dragon kings would level the playing field considerably," he said, before continuing. "We already have Vritra one our side." he mentioned, pointing to Tyson who waved sheepishly.

"Uhh, hey how's it going? I'm Tyson Solomon, host of Vritra. Nice to meet you?..." he said, a bit nervously. The dragon sniffed a few times before letting out a puff of air from her nostrils.

"You already know who I am, it seems. I was unaware that Vritra had a new host besides the devil boy in the Sitri's peerage." she said, as Tyson began to sweat a bit from having such a powerful being's attention directly on him.

"Yeah, about that..." he started, running his hand through his hair. "Mine was a bit of a special case, but Vritra is awake since I have three of his Gears. Say hi to your old friend, Vritra." he said, before a purple glow appeared on his right hand.

**["Ah, Tiamat. I would say it's good to see you, but I have no reason to lie these days."]** the black dragon said in a snarky tone. The blue dragon growled lightly.

"Vritra. Several thousand years and you're still an asshole? You haven't changed one bit." she spat, to which the purple glow intensified.

**["And you're just as spiteful as ever. What, did Ddraig lose more of your pieces of junk again?"]** Vritra said, prompting the blue dragon to roar in anger and stomp her massive foot into the dirt. The shockwave, nearly knocked Tyson and the rest of the group off of their feet.

"How _dare_ you speak that name to me! That _lizard_ can rot for all I care!" Tiamat shouted, blue flames seeping from the gaps in her teeth. Even from the distance, Tyson could tell that those flames were extremely hot.

'Hey Vritra. Do you mind, you know, _not_ pissing off the dragon that could kill me in an instant? Thanks buddy.' Tyson said, mentally. The black dragon scoffed.

**["Pfft, she's just talk. In my prime, Tiamat could barely hold a candle to my power. With some more training, you could probably defeat her yourself."]**

Tyson began to sweat as the dragon's anger intensified. "Uhh, Vritra? You know you said that out loud, right?" he asked, and Vali began to worry for his teammate's life.

"Relax, everyone. As much as a good fight sounds amazing, we are here in peace." Vali said, moving to stand between the fuming dragon and the frightened human.

**["He is right. Tiamat, calm yourself."] **came the voice of Albion as the Divine Dividing wings appeared on Vali's back. Tiamat, however, was not one to take such comments lightly.

"And _why_ should I allow these whelps to trample on my honor, in _my_ territory Albion!? You were always the more sensible of the dragons, yet you seem to have forgotten what pride means!" Tiamat yelled, her power emitting a pressure that caused most people present to struggle in an attempt to stay standing.

**["I have not forgotten, but pride has no value to a dead man. Consider yourself lucky that you do not know how it feels."]** Albion said, which caused Tiamat to huff. However, she seemed to calm down slightly. **["And Vritra, shut up before you get your first host killed."]**

**["Hey!"]**

Tyson cleared his throat to end the exchange. "Ahem. So, will you join us? We really could use every bit of help we can get at this point." he asked. The blue dragon snorted, letting out a small puff of blue flames.

"And why would I join you, if I have to listen to that braggart of a dragon constantly?" she asked, crossing her front legs and allowing her head to rest upon them. Vali spoke up.

"Ophis is willing to give you more strength, if that's what you want."

"I have no need of borrowed strength. To win with someone else's power is the greatest form of dishonor." she said, shaking her head and closing her eyes for a moment.

Tyson timidly took a step forward until he stood beside the Hakuryuukou. "You have some kind of history with the Red Dragon, right?" he asked, to which the dragon's eyes snapped open in anger.

"I have no such thing with a wretched beast such as him!" she said, frustratedly. Tyson put his hands up in surrender but did not step back.

"Woah, no harm intended. I just want to know what happened. You obviously don't like the guy." he said, placatingly. Tiamat grumbled, eyes softening in remembrance.

"He was an idiot who borrowed some of my artifacts in his battles against Albion. He promised me he would return them, but he went and got himself sealed. My precious treasures were lost that day, and now he's not even around to help recover them." she explained, grumpily. Tyson cocked his head to the side.

"So if you haven't been able to talk with Ddraig since then, what happens when you meet his host?"

"Oh, I usually kill them as painfully as possible."

"Oh..." Tyson sweatdropped. "Well don't do that to his current host, please. He's a total pervert, but he's a good kid at heart."

Tiamat's eyes narrowed at him and she snorted, causing a puff of smoke to fly into the man's face. "You know where he is!?" she asked, pointedly. Tyson was still busy coughing some of the smoke from his lungs, but eventually waved the remainder away.

"Excuse you, by the way. But yeah, I know him. His name is Issei Hyoudou. He's a devil under Rias Gremory." he said, and Tiamat moved her head slightly closer to him until she was only a foot or two away. Tyson couldn't see past her large snout.

"You're not lying to me, are you?" she asked, to which Kuroka laughed.

"You feel a bit of his aura too, right? He's too nice to openly lie to someone's face. Dragon or not. Besides, Vali has seen him too."

Vali nodded. "Regardless, back to our original purpose. If you will not join us, will you at least agree to stay out of the fighting between the Khaos Brigade and the Three Factions?" he asked, and the large dragon hummed in response.

"Fine. On one condition: I get to meet this 'Issei' you speak of."

Tyson raised an eyebrow. "Then I'll set a condition of my own," he started, to which Tiamat growled. "You can't immediately try to kill him." he finished, causing Bikou and Kuroka to laugh despite the tense atmosphere. Le Fay could be seen giggling behind her hand as well.

Tiamat sighed. "Fine. I will hold myself back despite my better judgment. I will not join your group, but I will not interfere in the battles to come unless my territory is attacked first." she said, standing and stretching her wings wide in a show of dominance. "Now, begone from my lands!" she roared, shaking the ground once more.

The group nodded at each other before teleporting away in a bright flash. Appearing back in the living room, Tyson let out a long sigh and slumped. "Man, I know I met Vritra in my head but he couldn't hurt me in there when we first met. A real dragon right in front of me is pretty terrifying." he said, making his way to the kitchen to grab a quick snack.

Bikou chuckled before hopping over the back of the couch and landing on the cushions. "If you think that's scary, you should see my old man. The original Sun Wukong is so skilled in senjutsu that you can't sense a single thing from him. You know he's ridiculously strong, but you can't get a feel for him at all." he explained, to which Tyson let out a small laugh.

"Heh, I think I'd prefer that to a dragon staring me down any day. Sun Wukong is the monkey king or something, right?" he asked, tossing a snack bar to the man as well as Kuroka before joining them in the living room. Arthur and Le Fay had retired to their rooms, and Vali silently made his way to the training room.

Bikou nodded. "Yep. The old geezer is the one who got created from stone and imprisoned in a mountain for attacking heaven. The Hindu version of heaven, anyway." he said. Tyson whistled softly.

"Sounds like one hell of a guy."

Another day passed before Vali approached Tyson in the living room. The silver haired man had his usual bored expression as he crossed his arms.

"It's time to have the meeting with the Three Factions. We're just there for appearances, so things won't be very interesting." he said, to which Tyson raised an eyebrow.

"Wait, I'm going too? Why the hell am I needed there?" he asked, standing from his spot on the couch. Vali let out a long sigh.

"Azazel apparently asked for you specifically. Said it had something to do with 'strengthening the peace' or something." he scoffed. "Come on, it'll be starting in a half an hour."

Tyson nodded at him before Vali created a white teleportation circle beneath the two of them. They vanished before reappearing somewhere right outside Kuoh Academy. They were immediately greeted by none other than Rias Gremory and her peerage.

"Well, look who we have here." she said, arms crossed under her chest and impatiently tapping her foot. "If it isn't the White Dragon Emperor and the guest of honor." she said, obviously not thrilled to see either of them. Tyson waved innocently.

"Oh, Rias! It's so good to see you again too!" he exclaimed, dramatically. Akeno giggled behind her hand. Tyson's expression became more serious after a few chuckles as he looked at Issei, who seemed a bit uncomfortable. "Issei! You look good buddy, how have you been?"

Issei, who had been staring off into space, jumped slightly as he was called. "Oh! I've been pretty good, just a bit busy this past week." he said with a smile. The boy looked at Vali and his nervousness returned. "You're here too?"

Vali nodded, hands in his pockets. "Indeed. The two Heavenly Dragons are not something that can be ignored by the supernatural world, so it's only natural that we would be included in these talks." he explained before passing the group and walking into the main school building. Tyson sighed.

"He really needs to lighten up on the whole 'strongest in the world' thing..." he mumbled to himself, but everyone there heard it. Vali merely gave him the middle finger while continuing to leave, which caused him to chuckle.

Tyson turned back toward Rias and her peerage before noticing a familiar blue haired woman among them. "Xenovia, good to see you again. Did you end up joining Rias' peerage after the big fight?" he asked, to which the woman nodded.

"Yes. It was difficult to see my path with God *wince* being dead, and in the moment I decided that I wanted to become a devil. Besides..." she trailed off, looking to the side, "Rias and the others have treated me very nicely since then."

Tyson chuckled. "What, is this your little act of rebellion against the Faith? Guess I can't blame you though. I may have been a confirmed Catholic back in my old world, but I distanced myself after a while as well. Too many crazies among the priests." he laughed, and Xenovia pouted at him.

"We weren't crazy! We were devoted!" she exclaimed, but calmed as she realized that she could no longer count herself among the faithful. Tyson laughed once again.

"You guys look like you're a bit nervous." he remarked. Rias hummed in agreement.

"Naturally. We're about to witness a peaceful meeting between the Three Faction leaders; something that has never happened before. If things go south, the war could restart. Either way, history is being made right in front of our eyes." she explained.

The others nodded, agreeing with her. Koneko looked down at the ground with her fists clenched. She was visibly trembling, and a few others noticed. Suddenly, the white haired girl stepped forward until she stood right in front of Tyson. She still looked to the ground.

"Can I talk to you for a second, alone?" she asked, quietly. Everyone was a bit surprised since Koneko rarely wished to speak to anyone, let alone be alone. Tyson, however, had a good idea of where this was going.

"Sure. Want to take a short walk?" he asked, to which she nodded. Issei and the rest of the group stared with raised eyebrows as the unlikely pair left together. "Anyone know what that was about?" the Sekiryuutei asked. Everyone shook their heads.

"No clue, but I don't like it one bit." Rias said, eyes narrowed.

A minute later, Tyson and Koneko had wandered to a random part of the school grounds. The entire academy looked pristine and new, as if the attack from Kokabiel had never occurred. Tyson assumed that magic had to have been involved in some way. It must have been a weekend, since no students were present.

Tyson stopped in the hallway. "So, what did you want to talk about?" he asked, already knowing what she was going to say. He was not surprised when the girl attempted to punch him in the gut, and he sidestepped it nimbly.

"Woah there, easy!" he pleaded with a smile. Koneko responded with a fast kick that would have taken Tyson's head off had he been a millisecond slower. This continued for several seconds before the man could get a good look at the girl's face.

She was crying.

Even after several ferocious attacks by the girl, Koneko was still not exhausted in the slightest. Knowing that he lacked the physical strength to restrain her, he managed to land a single slap on her shoulder.

**[Delete!]**

The word was called out and Koneko lurched forward slightly, off balance. She quickly regained her footing and attempted to punch Tyson once more, but her punch was caught in his larger hand. Her eyes widened as she attempted to break free, but found that most of her strength had left her.

"How?..." she asked, eyes brimming with tears. Soon enough she stopped resisting his grip altogether. "How is it possible that you smell just like _her_?"

Tyson sighed before releasing the girl's hand, but did not back away. "Koneko, what I'm about to tell you stays between us, okay?" he asked cryptically. The girl was staring him right in the eyes, and she nodded despite the defeated expression on her face.

"I met your sister, Kuroka. She's a part of Vali's team, like me." he said, to which the white haired girl gasped.

"You've been with her!? Where is she now!?" the girl asked, frantically gripping the man's shirt in her hands as if he would disappear should she let go.

"She's at Vali's house right now, probably bored out of her mind. She would have come to see you, but she's still technically a wanted criminal." he answered. He found it difficult to look Koneko in the eyes since her pleading expression was so distraught that it tugged on his heart strings.

"So you smell like her because...?"

Tyson chuckled sheepishly. "That part is a bit more personal. To keep it simple, Kuroka and I are sort of... dating." he clarified. Koneko's expression of shock turned into complete rage as she shook the man with her now-regained strength now that ten seconds had elapsed.

"What the _hell_ do you mean you're dating my sister!?" she shouted, as Tyson's brain was rattled from the furious shaking of his body. Koneko's Rook strength had returned, it seems.

Eventually the shaking halted, and Tyson could regain his wits. "Ugh, that felt like the last time Bikou and I fought but with less laughing and more headache. Anyway, Kuroka and I are dating...yep." he explained, adding an extra *pop* at the end of his P.

"That doesn't explain anything!"

Tyson scratched the back of his head. "I know it's a lot at once, but believe me that I care about her. You may think she's insane or tough or whatever, but she's a wreck on the inside." he said, to which Koneko's rage dissipated.

"What do you mean my sister is a wreck?..." she asked, attention completely focused on the taller man, who sighed.

"She told me the whole story about your family." he said simply, and Koneko's face fell. "She told me that she killed your master a long time ago."

Koneko nodded, tears returning to her eyes. "She went insane and killed everyone before abandoning me." she answered, and she was shocked as Tyson shook his head.

"That's only half true." he replied. Koneko's head shot up in surprise. "Although the full story is hers to tell, not mine, I'll let you know one thing. Shirone," he started, and the white haired Rook's eyes widened. "Your sister has never once been insane, and she has never stopped loving you."

Koneko could only stand there with her mouth agape. Words died at the end of her tongue, leaving her sputtering incoherently for a moment. Tyson looked at her with sympathetic eyes. "I know it hasn't been easy, but trust me when I say that Kuroka has always had your best interests in mind."

The girl's hands clenched his shirt tighter. "But how do you know? How do you know she isn't just lying to you?" she asked, trembling. Tyson took a deep breath before hesitantly wrapping his arms around the shorter girl.

"She may be a lot of things, but a liar isn't one of them. That girl couldn't lie to me if she wanted to." he replied, and his shirt began to feel damp as Koneko's tears soaked through. "If you want, we can try to find a time for you two to catch up. I'm sure Kuroka would like that a lot."

At his offer, Koneko's grip tightened even more and nodded into his chest despite her sobbing. Tyson merely stood there and held the girl until her tears subsided a few minutes later. He had unconsciously been humming the same tune that Kuroka had liked, and it seemed to work for his current situation as well.

The rocking stopped as the two embraced, one much tighter than the other. Koneko sniffed and wiped the tears from her reddened eyes. "If she still cared, why did she leave me there all alone?...I was so scared..." she whispered, tears threatening to fall once again. However, Tyson wiped them away with his finger before they could do so.

"That's her story to tell, not mine. Once this meeting is over, we'll sit down and chat. I know it isn't really my place, since I'm not technically family or anything, but I want to be there for both of you. I don't need to be there when you two talk, but I promise both for your and your sister's sake, that I'll protect you both with everything that I have."

His small speech caused Koneko to sniffle once more before giving a half-hearted punch to Tyson's gut, causing him to wheeze. Even without her full strength, that punch hurt. Koneko chuckled softly and her eyes narrowed. "I can smell my Onee-sama's mark on you. You had better not be doing anything lewd with my sister."

Tyson chuckled, out of breath from the hit to his stomach. "If it makes you feel any better, she's the one trying to jump the gun, not me. We haven't done the dirty yet, if that's what you're talking about." Koneko blushed, unamused as she ground her fist deeper into his stomach.

"When a youkai marks you, she considers you family. I don't feel the same way about you yet. Keep that in mind." the short girl threatened, making Tyson gulp.

"Yes ma'am."

The two returned to the rest of Rias' peerage to a variety of confused expressions. Rias approached the two and scowled as she noticed the slightly reddened eyes of Koneko. "Tyson Solomon, _what_ did you do to my precious Koneko?" she demanded, foot tapping impatiently.

Tyson and Koneko shared a short look before smiling at each other. "Oh, nothing you need to worry about." he replied flippantly, causing the already fuming redhead to growl audibly.

"Tyson I swear to-"

"Chill, Red. Family stuff."

That immediately silenced Rias. Only she and Akeno truly knew what happened with Koneko, as it was personal enough to be kept hidden, similar to Kiba's situation. Rias' eyes widened. "You don't mean..." she trailed off.

Tyson shook his head. "Not the time, Rias. You probably already know what I mean."

The Gremory nodded dumbly before a bright flash of light caused the group to look to their side, where a certain Governor appeared. The man gave a lazy wave with his usual carefree smile.

"Yo, kids! Nice to see you again." he exclaimed, causing Tyson to bark out a quick laugh. Issei eyed the man with uncertainty while the others seemed slightly intimidated by his presence.

"Azazel, you're on time for once. Knowing you, I thought you would be fashionably late even for something as important as this." Tyson remarked, crossing his arms. Azazel laughed heartily in response.

"Haha! You're not wrong! If it weren't for Shemhazai...'offering' to take over my paperwork for the day, I probably would have been late!" he said, shrugging. The two men laughed, knowing that the poor Cadre was often the unwilling victim of the Governor's laziness.

A red teleportation circle soon appeared before two people came into view: A tall man with long, red hair and a silver haired woman in a maid's outfit. Rias looked to him in slight surprise.

"Onii-sama!" she cried, and the man turned to her before smiling.

"Hello, Ria-tan. I was just finishing up looking through your photos with Hyoudou-san. I still can't get over the one where-" he started, before he was cut off by the redhead woman.

"Onii-sama, stop! It's embarrassing!" she shouted, blushing heavily. Many of the spectators laughed, especially Azazel. The Governor looked at the red haired man with a glint in his eye.

"Sirzechs. It's been quite a while."

"Indeed, Azazel. You look well."

A slightly awkward silence ensued between the two powerful men, before Lucifer spared a glance at the group and his eyes landed on Tyson. "And who might you be, young man? I don't believe we've met before." he asked, curiously.

Tyson gave a lazy two finger salute. "Tyson Solomon. You must be Sirzechs Lucifer: Rias' older brother and one of the maou." he introduced himself, to which the man nodded.

"That is correct. What is your relationship with my little Ria-tan, anyway?" Sirzechs asked, sporting an all-too-innocent smile that spoke volumes. Rias herself sputtered and pouted, crossing her arms.

"Stop calling me that ridiculous pet name, Onii-sama..." she mumbled. The man in question simply laughed it off.

"By the way, this is my wife, Grayfia." he introduced the silver haired woman beside him, and she bowed.

Tyson waved before shrugging. "Nice to meet you. After a complicated series of events, I ended up in Japan without money, food, or shelter. Because she saved Issei's life, I was given all of those things as well as an introduction into the supernatural world. To be honest, I owe her quite a bit." he explained. Issei was still looking uncomfortable with the situation.

The Lucifer laughed heartily. "That sounds like her! She wouldn't be a Gremory if she didn't help people when she can. Did you join her peerage as well, Solomon?"

"Please, call me Tyson. I'm still not used to Japan and their need to call people by last names."

"Then call me Sirzechs."

"Cool. And no, I chose not to."

"Why not?" the question seemed innocent enough, but the slight gleam in the red haired man's eye told Tyson that his answer would be heavily judged. He gulped. 'He probably thinks I mooched off of her good will without offering anything in return.' he thought to himself.

"Oh leave the boy alone Sirzechs." Azazel cut in, saving the American from answering a difficult question. "He was teleported to Japan with nothing, and only got involved in the supernatural by bad luck. He's lucky he found me, actually."

Sirzechs raised an eyebrow, but his smile did not fade. "Oh? This seems like quite the story." he remarked, to which Azazel chuckled.

"You have no idea. We can talk more after this super important meeting is over, though. After all..." he trailed off while shooting Tyson a meaningful look that Sirzechs, as well as everyone else present, caught. "He's the one who killed Kokabiel."

Sirzechs' and the silver haired woman's eyes widened. "He's the one who took Kokabiel down? You're certain?" he asked, intrigued. Azazel nodded.

"I'll explain more in the meeting. Come, it's about to begin." Azazel said before walking into the school building. Rias and her peerage, along with Tyson, Sirzechs, and the maid, followed. The entire walk to the conference room, Tyson could feel Grayfia's gaze piercing into his very being. It occasionally gave him a quick shiver down his spine.

Within minutes, Rias had lead them all to the main conference room of the academy. She stepped aside to allow her brother and the silver haired maid through. Azazel followed, along with Tyson who stood beside Vali against the wall. Rias and her peerage entered nervously, being the last group to enter.

As they entered, Tyson noticed someone he recognized. Xenovia seemed to recognize her as well. "Irina!" she exclaimed in surprise. However, the chestnut haired woman huffed and looked away in disgust. The bluenette seemed hurt by the action.

Beside Irina was a blond man clad in white robes with red accents. His large golden shoulderplates seemed to announce his stature, but the peaceful air about him set Tyson at ease. That, along with the glowing halo above his head, told him that this was a real angel.

Suddenly, the blond man smiled. "Azazel, Sirzechs, you made it. I was afraid I had arrived too early." he spoke in such a sincere tone that Tyson had no more doubts about his status as an angel.

Sirzechs took a seat at one end of the large table before chuckling. "Nonsense, Michael. You are right on time. The only one who is late seems to be Serafall." he remarked. Suddenly, the doors burst open and a black haired girl clad in a magical girl outfit announced her presence.

"Hi hi! Magical girl Levia-tan, at your service!" she announced. Sona, who arrived moments after with her peerage, facepalmed and grumbled.

"Onee-sama, _please_ be more professional..."

"Boo! This is who I am So-tan!" the girl said, pouting. Tyson took a closer look and noticed the resemblance between the two black haired girls. After a few moments of Sona's glare, the girl groaned before a summoning circle appeared beneath her feet and she changed into a dark business suit.

'Huh, must be sisters. The whole 'onee-sama' thing kind of gave it away, but aside from the difference in chest size and personalities they're practically identical.'

Azazel chuckled. "Now that everyone's here, let's get started." he said, bringing everyone's attention back to the table. Serafall and Azazel took a seat at the conference table, with the Governor's feet propped up on the table in a relaxed manner.

Sirzechs cleared his throat before speaking in a much more professional tone. "I call this meeting to order, then. This is my sister, Rias, and her retainers. They're the ones who fought against Kokabiel during his surprise attack a few days ago." he said

The blond man smiled, eyes closed in a similar way to Akeno. "That is a rather impressive feat. I thank each and every one of you for your hard work."

Azazel was now sitting with his elbow upon the table, head propped on his fist. "Once again, I apologize. It seems like one of my own has caused you quite a bit of trouble." he said, flippantly. Tyson fought the urge to facepalm.

'Even in such a serious situation he can't take anything seriously...'

The blond man shot up in surprise. "Oh, I'm afraid I haven't introduced myself yet. I am Michael, one of the four Great Seraphs of Heaven. It is a pleasure to meet all of you." he introduced, bowing his head slightly with a smile.

Sirzechs jumped in next. "Rias, would you mind sharing your report of the attack by Kokabiel?" he asked, to which the other redhead complied.

...

"And that concludes my report." Rias declared. Sona spoke up. "I, Sona Sitri, confirm the details of this report by Lady Gremory."

Sirzechs smiled slightly, but kept a professional demeanor. The official air of the situation put Tyson's hair on end. "Perhaps the Governor of the fallen angels could shed some more light on the situation?" Lucifer asked.

"Azazel went rogue, meaning he didn't exactly have my permission to do anything. Besides, I've come to like this quaint little town. I sent the White Dragon Emperor to take care of him, but he ended up receiving a bit of help along the way." Azazel said, tilting his head backward toward Tyson.

All eyes fell upon him, and Tyson fought the urge to sweat under the intenseness of their gazes. Michael looked genuinely surprised. "I had heard that a human was the one to kill Kokabiel. That must have been you, was it not?" he asked, and the American nodded.

"Yeah, that was me. If it wasn't for both the Hakuyruukou and the Sekiryuutei though, I wouldn't have stood a chance." he explained, and Sirzechs hummed in agreement.

"Regardless of the situation, a human taking down a cadre-class fallen angel is no small feat. If only because Kokabiel was a threat to us all, you have my congratulations." the red headed man said. Tyson shook his head.

"With all due respect, Vali did most of the work. It was his fight, and I interfered." he said. Although he wasn't looking at the silver haired man to see it, the Hakuryuukou gave the American a look of approval and respect.

Azazel sighed. "Anyway, Kokabiel is dead. He wanted constant combat, but at this late in the game, I have no interest in a war. The last one ended prematurely for good reason, and I think we all deserve some peace and quiet." he said, giving a smirk. "All the better that he be killed by someone unaffiliated with our factions, no?"

Serafall Leviathan hummed. "It seems there will always be those who desire war..." she said, quietly to herself.

Azazel smirked. "That feeling applies to more than just my own faction, you know." he said, causing the black haired maou to pout.

Sirzechs shook his head. "Try to stay on topic. According to the report, Tyson Solomon is under the employment of Grigori. This makes him a part of your faction. However, for the sake of our story, we could claim that he was acting independently."

The Governor chuckled. "Technically, he was. I only ordered him to keep an eye on your sister and the other kiddos to make sure they didn't end up in a sticky situation. I didn't say a thing about engaging Kokabiel in combat."

Michael sighed. "Well, I suppose we can overlook that during our official report. No harm, no foul, as they say." the angel said, before his attention returned to Tyson. "However, there is one other occurrence I would like to discuss."

Azazel had a feeling he knew where this was going. "Something went wrong with the System, yeah?" he asked, already knowing the answer. Michael was only slightly surprised that the fallen knew of his concern.

"Yes. There was an error in the system a little over a month ago. How did you know?"

"There was an earthquake within Grigori, and that doesn't ever happen. Plus, a Sacred Gear vanished right in front of me. Ended up in Tyson here." the blond banged man explained, to which both leaders and their assistants gasped.

Michael's surprise could no longer be contained. "You mean a Sacred Gear was placed into this young man? Are you certain?"

"Absolutely. Apparently he was teleported here from a completely different version of Earth, seven years in the future. When he arrived, he caused some kind of disturbance and awakened the Sacred Gears tied to Vritra, the Black Prison Dragon." The Governor failed to explain that he had a hand in giving Tyson the remaining Vritra Gears, but he decided it was best to keep a few secrets.

Michael put his hand to his chin in thought. "So a Sacred Gear was given to an adult after all..." he mumbled, and Sirzechs clasped his hands together, elbows on the table in serious thought.

"This is strange. A Sacred Gear has never been given to an adult before, so why would it happen now of all times?"

A few seconds of silent thought followed, before Michael raised his head. "Young man, I mean Tyson, I have reason to believe that you were considered 'reborn' by the System." he announced, causing the American to raise an eyebrow.

"This System you guys keep talking about it the thing keeping everything working since you-know-who isn't around anymore, right? And how could I have been considered reborn? I felt exactly the same as when I was in my old world."

The Seraph shook his head. "I do not know. The System works in mysterious ways that even we cannot understand. It has rules, but sometimes it breaks them on its own. Our Father created it with the intention of having it constantly learning and adapting. However, you are correct."

The red headed Lucifer coughed into his hand. "Again, let's stay on topic; we can discuss the details of Tyson's unusual circumstances at a later date. Can we all agree on an official treaty of peace between our factions?"

Azazel smiled. "As I've said, I have no reason to want a war. I'd much rather sit down with a bunch of Sacred Gears to study." he said, leaning back in his chair.

Michael's smile was so radiant it could rival the sun. "Agreed. Heaven lost a lot during the war, and we are struggling to rebuild. Peace would be in our best interests as well."

Sirzechs' expression went from serious to relieved as he let out a sigh. "Then I hereby declare-"

"Hold on a moment." Azazel interrupted. "We actually have another...complication. One that doesn't involve any of our factions. The Red and White Dragon Emperors are both present, so why don't we hear their thoughts?" he asked, turning toward Vali who smirked.

"All I want is to have strong opponents to fight." he said, simply.

"You can find plenty of strong opponents without a war."

"I suppose..." the Hakuryuukou trailed off.

"And you, Red Dragon boy." he looked to Issei, who jumped a bit in surprise at being singled out. "What do you think?"

Issei stammered for a moment before scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "Gee, I'm really not that good at coming up with stuff on the spot. But...uhh..." he trailed off, and Azazel chuckled.

"Let me make it simple for you, then. If we're at war, there's always the risk that the devils will be forced to repopulate. Rias Gremory is a high-class devil, so she's prime material to be handed off to someone of equal or higher status should the need arise. That means you'll lose your chance." he said, causing Issei's mouth to drop open as he imagined the woman of his dreams be given off to someone else after all of his efforts.

"But if we're at peace, you'll have plenty of time to train yourself for any fights that may come up. Stamina is an important part of training, and little miss Gremory here would be perfect practice for that. _ Every. Single. Morning_." he emphasized, causing the girl in question to blush.

"I'm right here, you know." she complained, but her older brother merely laughed as Issei's brain overloaded with lecherous thoughts.

A few moments later, Issei's expression became determined. "Alright, I've made my choice! Peace is the way to go! I will have Rias Gremory's boobs all to myself!" he declared. Rias facepalmed while Akeno giggled behind her hand.

Kiba half-whispered to him from behind his hand. "Maybe you should save that for when her brother isn't around." he said, and Issei flinched.

"Right, uhh, well I just want my friends to be safe. Peace is better for that, anyway."

Michael smiled at him. "Sekiryuutei, did you still have a question you want to ask me?" the Seraph asked.

Issei stood up straight. "Yes, sir. I want to know why Xenovia and Asia were kicked out of the church. You weren't fair to them, and they love God more than anyone." he said, causing Asia to gasp.

"Issei, don't..." Rias warned, putting her hand on his shoulder.

Michael sighed. "After God was destroyed, only the System remained. The only thing we had to keep the Faith was our power to administer divine miracles and blessings. Even with me at the center, the Church is barely functioning. Consequently, we had to do everything we could to protect the System."

Issei's gaze dropped slightly. "So you didn't have a choice. You had to." he said, and the Seraph nodded.

"Indeed. The faith of believers is the only reason that those of us in Heaven exist. Without them, we would perish. A threat to the System is a threat to our survival, so anything that could negatively affect it had to be removed."

Xenovia stepped forward. "So that's why I suffered Asia's fate too, along with others who found out the truth."

Michael's face became saddened. "Exactly. It was unfair; you were not heretics. We should have found another way. I ask for your forgiveness." he said, bowing his head much to everyone's shock.

Xenovia smiled. "Apology accepted, Michael-sama. It's strange though. I grew up in the church, so I have a few regrets, but to be perfectly honest I am more than happy with my life as a devil."

Asia stepped forward confidently. "Me too. I'm so much happier as a devil. I've met people I cherish who also care about me."

Michael hummed. "You both have very forgiving spirits, and I am grateful for that."

Azazel spoke up. "Hey, I remember you. Aren't you the one that Raynare killed?" he said, prompting Issei to take a step forward in defense.

"Why you! The reason that bitch was trying to kill her was to be _like you!_" he shouted, and Tyson intervened, releasing some of his aura. It was miniscule compared to the leaders in the room, but it was enough to get Issei to freeze for a moment.

"Issei, calm down." he said, calmly. The boy took another step forward despite Rias' grip on his shoulder.

"Why should I!? It's because of him that Asia had to die! Me too!"

"Issei," Tyson's voice was much deeper now. "_Stand. Down."_ his aura flared once more, and Issei began to sweat. Vali smirked from his place on the wall.

Issei battled internally before his stance relaxed. "Good." Tyson said. "Raynare had her reasons for doing what she did, but they were bad ones. In the end, she was just a pawn of Kokabiel trying to impress a _certain Governor_." he said, making Azazel chuckle.

"Don't worry though. I've given her a suitable punishment for her transgressions. Also, I take full responsibility for her actions. In return, I'm going to make it up to you the way only I can." the blond-banged man said, cryptically.

Issei was hesitant. "And what might that be?..."

A burst of magic covered the area, causing most people to look upward in surprise. Suddenly, everything became tinted a dark purple. Tyson looked around to see many people completely motionless, as if they were stopped in time. The strongest people in the room, as well as a few others, moved as usual.

Issei shook his head as his Boosted Gear appeared on his hand. "What the hell was that?" he wondered out loud. "It feels like time just stopped."

Azazel hummed in agreement. "It would seem so. Luckily, those of us with superior power were unaffected."

Vali chuckled. "We should thank our dragons for that. The heavenly bunch were protected by their holy swords, and it seems your little girlfriend was saved by being in contact with you." he pushed himself off of the wall.

Tyson clenched his fist. "Who in the world has the power to stop time?" he asked.

"The half-vampire, Gasper. He's one of little Gremory's bishops that was sealed away." Azazel responded.

Rias sputtered. "H-how did you know about that!?" she demanded, to which the Governor only chuckled.

"I know a great many things that would surprise you."

Issei was confused. "But how can Gasper be this powerful? He barely had any sort of control over his Sacred Gear yesterday." he pointed out, to which Azazel hummed in thought.

"They must have created a sort of balance breaker condition for him, allowing his power to reach such a large area is no small feat."

A ridiculous number of teleportation circles appeared outside the window. Out of them fell countless robed people.

"Who are those people?" Issei asked.

"Magicians, and a lot of them." replied Rias.

The silver haired woman spoke up at last. "And unfortunately our magical transport troops are completely sealed off from us."

"So we're cornered." Azazel concluded.

Michael nodded. "Yes. The timing of their assault and their use of Lady Gremory's bishop could not have been more perfect.

The devils and angels that were stationed outside as guards were quickly being overwhelmed, an easy task for the enemy considering they were frozen in time.

"I recommend we take action soon." Sirzechs said, seriously. "If they've somehow found a way to make Gasper stronger, none of us will survive."

"Nobody is strong enough to beat him? How could he be so strong and we didn't even know?" Issei asked.

Kiba explained that Gasper used a mutation piece when he was turned into a devil, meaning that his potential for growth was quite literally incomprehensible.

Azazel looked out the window, crossing his arms. "Maybe we should focus. If we don't do something about this half-vampire kid quickly, it'll be too dangerous for us to fight back." he said. Rias stepped forward.

"Onii-sama," she started, grabbing his attention. "I have an unused rook that I leave in the clubroom that we use for meetings. I could use castling to swap with it." Sirzechs nodded, and the silver haired woman beside him hummed in agreement.

"Castling?" the Sekiryuutei asked. Although Tyson was uncertain of many of the topics discussed as well, he was growing frustrated with the boy's need to have everything spelled out for him.

"It's a specific move in chess where the king and rook can exchange places." Kiba clarified.

"I agree. We could also use some of mine and Sirzechs' power to send someone else with you." she said.

"I'll go with her!" Issei exclaimed. "I won't let anyone hurt Gasper, he's my friend!"

"Wouldn't it be easier to take out the half-vampire along with the terrorists?" Vali offered, smirking. "If you'd like, I could do it for you."

Azazel clicked his tongue. "Vali, try to be a bit more considerate. We're trying to make peace here, remember?"

Vali scoffed. "Sorry. I'm not good at sitting here and doing nothing."

"Fair enough. Then why don't you go out there and show our guests a nice welcome? Upset their ranks a bit. Take Tyson with you. Two dragons ought to give them a good taste of what's in store for them." the Governor said, meaningfully. Tyson and Vali nodded at each other before releasing their Sacred Gears.

"Sounds like fun" Vali said, grinning before spreading his wings wide and soaring through the window, shattering the glass in the process. Tyson sighed before jumping out the first story window himself

"Always a showoff..."

Running toward the battle, Tyson saw the Hakuryuukou speeding through the mass of floating magicians before unleashing an extraordinarily powerful blast of blue lightning. The attack arced in every direction, decimating the enemy's forces in mere moments.

Not wanting to be outdone, Tyson used the shadows to create a pair of wings on his back. He was still not very used to flying at high speeds, but he could handle most regular movements without problem. The wings were the darkest black that could exist, without reflecting a single bit of light. He leapt into the air and used his fists and flames to viciously beat down any magician unfortunate enough to be in his path.

Millions of small laser beams were fired from an eye on the magicians' hoods, forcing the man to evade and attack simultaneously. After several minutes of this, and seeing Vali defeat groups of opponents in single attacks, Tyson had had enough.

'Alright, Vritra. We're gonna use that new move we practiced. You ready?' he thought, internally.

**["Absolutely. I will enhance your strength as much as your body can handle without a transformation. Be ready."]** the black dragon replied, before Tyson could feel his energy skyrocket.

He covered his entire body in black flames that flickered a bright orange at the tips, steadily increasing the strength and heat of those flames until they flickered dangerously. He continued to strengthen the attack while compressing the flames into a small ball in his hands, until the small ball began to grow despite his compression. He did this all while dodging the many attacks being thrown at him, from laser beams to fireballs and lightning bolts.

After nearly 30 seconds of charging, Tyson landed on the ground before forcing the ball into the size of a pebble. He was sweating profusely from the effort, and his muscles ached.

Suddenly, he opened his mouth and chomped down on the ball of flames, consuming it entirely. His body glowed a bright orange color, and steam began to rise from him flesh. It bubbled uncontrollably, and Tyson's long hair became like a flame, flaring upward from the energy within him.

Planting his feet into the ground and focusing his energy outward from his body, Tyson roared. The resulting explosion was loud enough to drown out every bit of sound in the area, as a blast of black flames erupted from Tyson's body. It immediately grew until it encompassed nearly half of the school grounds, before halting its expansion.

The black orb of flames surged, casting the entirety of Kuoh Academy in a heat comparable to a small sun. Volatile arcs of orange lightning streaked from it, as the dark flames consumed everything within.

Slowly, the flames flickered out of existence before revealing what was left of the area outside of the school. The ground was scorched beyond recognition, with the earth itself still burning. A massive group of magicians, close to several thousand, had completely vanished from the detonation. The remaining magicians turned their attention away from the Hakuryuukou in terror, as Tyson stood in the center of a crater that was easily fifty feet deep, surrounded by a pool of black lava. The thick liquid bubbled uncontrollably, sending large gouts of flame into the air whenever they popped.

Vali cackled maniacally. "Hahaha! That's what I'm talking about, Tyson! Let's get this party started!" The Hakuryuukou punched his hands together before shouting. "Balance Breaker!" Suddenly, a blue light enveloped the man before his shining armor appeared over his body.

Tyson was panting on the ground in exhaustion. He knew the black flames around him were harmless to him, but they unnerved him regardless. 'Is this really what I'm capable of? Destruction on this kind of scale...' he thought to himself.

**["Indeed. You are much more powerful than you believe to be, and you can grow even stronger. Despite being a mere human, you continue to exceed my expectations."]** Vritra said in his mind. Tyson shook his head.

'I just killed who knows how many people, though. One was bad enough. Why do I feel so little for them? They had lives just like I do.'

**["Release those thoughts from your mind, as they will do nothing but hold you back. Although you are a human, you must accept that you will do inhumane things to people far more deserving of life than you. It is the law of this world: the strong consume the weak, and the weak become strong or perish."]**

Tyson was brought out of his thoughts as a shining light enveloped the area. He looked up from his spot on the ground to see Azazel facing off with a brown haired woman with ridiculous body proportions and an unusual outfit. The two of them were covered in their aura. Azazel shined a bright yellow while the woman glowed a dark purple.

Suddenly, Azazel brought out some kind of golden dagger and held it forward before shouting. "Balance Breaker!" Tyson looked in surprise at the cadre who was enveloped in a similar light to Vali, before a golden armor with purple gems surrounded his body. In his hand was a golden spear of pure light, with two slightly curved horns at the tip.

The woman didn't even have a moment before she was slashed by the weapon, causing her body to bleed profusely. She screamed, extending her arm like rubber until it wrapped around Azazel's own left arm. She cackled, believing herself to have won the battle, but Azazel merely sliced his own arm off before hurling the spear directly through her forehead.

A blood-curdling scream was the last sound she made before her body was obliterated, vanishing into particles.

Tyson shivered slightly at the power displayed by the Governor. 'Man, definitely need to remember not to piss him off.' he thought, before the golden armor around the man cracked and shattered. A single, purple gem was the last thing remaining. Azazel grabbed it out of the air before kissing it lightly.

**["What you just witnessed was a small portion of the dragon king Fafnir's power. He is known as the Gigantis Dragon, or the Golden Dragon Monarch. His strength was quite fearsome, even among the dragon kings, but he was very passive when it came to fighting."]** Vritra explained, before Tyson's attention was brought back by a white explosion in front of him.

Out of the smoking crater crawled Azazel. His left arm was severed, but no longer bleeding. "Haha, I guess I let my guard down there. I should have known it would be you, Vali. I must be losing my edge." he remarked, looking into the sky where the Hakuryuukou floated. Tyson looked to his side and saw Issei running toward him.

"Tyson, are you alright!?" the boy exclaimed, before immediately turning his attention to Vali and the Governor.

Azazel floated into the air to match the White Dragon Emperor, spreading his twelve black wings wide. "Sorry Azazel, but things look more interesting on this side." the Hakuryuukou said.

"Vali! You're the one who betrayed us!" Issei cried out, before turning to Tyson. "Tyson, did you know about this!?" he demanded, to which Tyson looked down guiltily. Issei's eyes widened.

"But...how could you?..." Issei mumbled, taking a step forward. "I thought we were your friends! Your family!"

Tyson clenched his fists. "You don't understand, Issei! There's a lot more going on here than you think. Vali just wants to fight strong opponents, and his best challenges are among the Three Factions. We're part of the Khaos Brigade, but this wasn't what we agreed on!"

The man turned toward Vali before shouting. "Vali! What happened to keeping our involvement to a minimum!?"

The Hakuryuukou and Azazel both looked at him: one with a smirk and the other in slight surprise. "I've changed my mind, Tyson. A battle like this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I'm not about to pass this up!" he yelled, smiling beneath his white helmet.

Tyson growled. "Damn, it wasn't supposed to go like this." he mumbled.

Azazel spoke. "Shemhazai told me of a faction that was gathering the dangerous individuals from all Three Factions. What was their name again? Oh yes, the Khaos Brigade. And the only one strong enough to lead that group of individuals has to be Ophis, the Ouroboros Dragon, am I right?"

Vali chuckled. "Hit the nail on the head, Azazel. It's true, I have decided to join Ophis, and so has Tyson down there." he said while pointing toward the Vritra host. "We're just a group who has gathered together to use our power. That's all."

Issei stomped his foot into the ground in anger. "That's a load of shit and you know it, Vali! Tyson would never become some kind of terrorist!" he shouted, and Vali cackled.

"True, he was opposed to the idea of a war between us and the Three Factions. However, his goals and the Khaos Brigade are currently intertwined."

Issei looked to his surrogate brother in shock, who nodded. "It's true, Issei. I need to find out how I got here, and why I was brought in the first place. The Khaos Brigade is my one lead on finding out the truth. For now, that is my purpose." he explained, and the Sekiryuutei frowned.

"But that doesn't excuse starting a war!"

The Hakuryuukou summoned a white ball of energy and tossed it at Asia. "Asia!" Issei cried, leaping in front of the ball and taking it to the chest. The energy exploded, leaving the Sekiryuutei steaming in a small crater.

Vali laughed. "Hahaha! Is this all the Red Dragon Emperor is capable of? How pathetic!" he said, crossing his arms. "I am Vali Lucifer, and my father was the grandson of the Great Devil King Lucifer! My mother was a human, so I'm a half-blood."

Azazel chuckled. "So basically, your existence is a joke."

"I like to call it a miracle. After all, it's what allowed me to possess the Divine Dividing. It is what allowed me to have the goal of becoming the strongest dragon to ever exist."

"I have a feeling this White Dragon Emperor will be the best one the world has ever seen: past, present, or future." Azazel mused.

"Issei Hyoudou," Vali started. "Fate can be cruel, don't you agree? I am the strongest dragon, and I carry with me the blood of the original maou. But you were just a lowly human, and even before becoming a devil you were an unimpressive student in high school. In short, without the Boosted Gear, you are _nothing_. The two of us are as far apart as the sky to the earth. No, farther than that." the White Dragon said, wings shining with energy.

Issei grinded his teeth together in frustration. Although what Vali said was true, it stung to have it thrown in his face as an insult. "You got a point there, Vali?"

"I do." the silver haired man responded. "I want you to become stronger. Try harder. Maybe you could become an avenger. If I killed your parents, would that motivate you to fight with all you've got?" he asked, causing Issei to flinch in shock.

"As you are, you will never understand!" Vali shouted, spreading his wings wide. "You are weak, Issei Hyoudou! The weak perish if they do not have a reason to become strong! You unleashed your power against Kokabiel when your friends were in danger. Perhaps if I killed them all, you would fight me seriously?" the man said, connivingly. Issei fumed.

"You won't touch a single one of them, Vali!" Issei roared, and an armband glowed before the green gem on the Boosted Gear glowed brightly. **[Balance Breaker!]** was announced as a red suit of armor covered the boy's body. "I'm gonna crush every bone in your shitty body!"

Vali chuckled. "Look, Albion, his power has increased exponentially." he said to himself.

**["The Sacred Gear draws on the strong emotions of its wielder. You are facing pure rage from him now. It is one of the best ways of drawing out the dragon within."]** the Vanishing Dragon responded.

Vali laughed. "Haha, good. Then that means I'm better at drawing out his dragon than he is at being one!"

"Keep talking, asshole! Ascalon!" Issei shouted, before an announcement of **[Blade!]** rang through the air and a long sword erupted from the gauntlet of the Boosted Gear. Tyson looked at it in wonder, as his body instinctively told him to avoid the weapon at all costs.

'What the hell is Ascalon? The name seems a little familiar, like Excalibur, but I can't pin it down.' he thought to himself.

**["That is a holy sword. Ascalon is the blade of the dragonslayers, a weapon originally wielded by Saint George. It is one of the few weapons with dragon slaying properties, and it is a fearsome one. You would do well to avoid contact with it at all costs. Despite not being a full dragon like myself, it would wreak havoc upon your body with a single touch."] **the black dragon explained, and Tyson shivered slightly as he imagined the damage it could cause.

'But if it's a dragon slaying weapon, how can a dragon wield it?'

**["That I do not know. Sacred Gears have unusual properties that react to the will of their wielders, as you have learned. It is possible, but unlikely, that the Red Dragon boy found a way to incorporate a dragon slaying sword into a dragon Sacred Gear. Along with his other abilities, this makes him quite a powerful foe."]**

Tyson looked up toward the battle that was ensuing. Issei swung madly with his blade, covered in an aura of green power. Vali was dodging nimbly in midair, glowing blue.

A hand landed on Tyson's shoulder, and he looked to see Azazel's smirk. "You're not going to help him?" the Governor asked.

"Which one?" Tyson replied, causing Azazel to laugh.

"Good question."

A short silence followed. "This is their fight, not mine. As much as I want to help Issei, I also want to help Vali for different reasons. I hope you understand that I have no ill will toward you or anyone in your factions." Tyson said, softly. The grip on his shoulder tightened momentarily.

"I know what you mean, but I do need a little explanation." the Governor said, fixing an intense look at the American who fought the urge to sweat under the pressure. "How does helping the Khaos Brigade get you any closer to figuring out how you got here?"

Tyson sighed before motioning for Azazel to come closer. With the intense battle raging above, nobody was paying attention to them to listen in on their conversation. "The Khaos Brigade is volatile. Ophis wants us to destroy Great Red so she can reclaim the dimensional gap, but the different factions in the Brigade don't seem to mesh very well. Vali wants to kill Great Red to prove he's the strongest, and I need to talk to Great Red because he knows something."

Azazel's shock was well hidden, but Tyson could see it from such a short distance. "How do you know?"

"He came to one of my dreams. Told me he's seen my dreams since before I came to this world."

Azazel hummed in thought. "That's interesting, and concerning. You're damn right that he knows something, but is joining the Khaos Brigade really the best way to do it?"

Tyson shook his head. "I don't know but if I stick around long enough, I just have a gut feeling that I'll run into him. Once I get my answers, the Khaos Brigade means very little to me."

Azazel nodded. "I appreciate the info kid. I won't ask you to spy for us, but any assistance you can provide from the sidelines would be greatly appreciated. I get the feeling that the Khaos Brigade is going to be one hell of a headache." he said, and Tyson nodded.

"I won't really be able to do that under Vali's nose, he's too cautious. You guys will handle everything just fine, I know it. I'll try to avoid fighting you guys when I can, but..." he trailed off, looking down.

Azazel squeezed his shoulder with his one remaining hand. "I get it. Sometimes you have to do things you're not proud of. Just remember who helped you get to where you are today." he said, pointedly.

Tyson sighed. "I like our little group, but Vali can go a bit overboard when a good fight is on the line. I probably won't learn anything you couldn't find out yourself, but I'll do my best to steer us away from a war. Our little group of six people isn't aiming for world domination like the rest of the Khaos Brigade."

Azazel hummed in acknowledgement. "Gotcha. Take a look, something interesting is about to happen." he said, pointing up toward the fight. Tyson turned his attention back toward Issei and Vali, who were continuing to trade blows.

To be more accurate, Issei was being mercilessly pummeled by Vali.

"Come on, Hyoudou! Is this really all the strength you can muster?" the silver haired man taunted, evading another wild swing of Ascalon. Issei was beginning to get frustrated as he was punched in the face yet again, his helmet cracking.

The Hakuryuukou coughed up a small amount of blood from the blow. The calls of **[Divide!]** and **[Boost!]** overlapped over and over as Issei's power fluctuated wildly. Tyson was shocked that the boy could muster so much strength, let alone control it at all. Things were beginning to happen too fast for him to keep up with constantly, until Issei managed to get one good slice across Vali's chest with Ascalon.

The main blue gem in the center of Vali's Balance Breaker shattered, falling to the ground. The White Dragon Emperor performed an ax kick, sending Issei flying back toward the earth where he landed on his feet, skidding several feet backwards. Looking down at the gem, Issei had an idea.

"Alright Ddraig, the Sacred Gear responds to my feelings right?" the boy said while picking up the blue gem.

**["Yes, but before you do anything stupid, are you truly ready to die?"] **the dragon said.

"I can't die yet, I still have to get it on with Rias and the others! For that, I can take on anyone and anything!"

The Welsh Dragon laughed. **["Hahaha! I like your resolve! Now, let me show you my determination!"] **he said, before the gems on Issei's Balance Breaker began to shine with an even brighter green light. **["I am the unstoppable power known as the Red Dragon Emperor! We will survive this together as true partners! Issei Hyoudou, **_**are you ready?**_**"]**

"Yeah!"

Vali scoffed. "What could you possibly do this late in the game?"

Issei grunted as power flooded his body. "Listen up, Vanishing Dragon dickhead! This is the part where I _take your power!_" he roared, crushing the gem in his hand and causing blue and green light to erupt from his body.

Rias gasped. "Issei, no!"

The light flickered between blue and green, coming from Issei's gauntlet. He growled in pain as the two powers fought for dominance.

Vali was intrigued. "Are you trying to take in my power? How foolish."

**["Indeed, it is rather reckless. We are conflicting existences. To do that would be suicide."]** Albion said.

**["So you know, Albion, possessing this particular master has taught me something important. Even a fool can make the impossible, possible, as long as he never gives up!"]** Ddraig responded.

"I'm that fool!" Issei shouted. "And I'm proud of it! If my abilities can't win, then I'll stay the idiot until the end! Respond to my feelings and do your worst!" he roared. The gauntlet on Issei's right arm became white with a blue gem in the center.

**[Vanishing Dragon: power is taken!]** was announced, proudly. Vali's eyes widened, and Albion growled.

**["Impossible. This is impossible!"]**

**["You've definitely taken years off your life. Most devils live forever, but you will not be one of them."]** Ddraig said, and Issei chuckled.

"Wasn't planning on it anyway. I still have shit I have to do!"

Tyson stared in awe. "He stole Vali's power? How is that possible!?" he asked, and Azazel hummed in thought as the two dragons began their battle once again.

"Most interesting. To think he would be this stupid." the Governor mused. "Using that power might actually kill the boy."

Tyson looked at him in surprise. "Then why the hell would he do it?" he asked, incredulously. Azazel chuckled.

"Because he's an idiot. But he's now an idiot with the power of both Heavenly Dragons as well as Ascalon. At full strength he could be a threat to anyone below the Cadre, the Seraphs, or the Maou."

Tyson whistled softly. "Damn, and I thought I had gotten stronger after all this time. Guess we have some catching up to do, eh Vritra?"

**["Yes. I did not possess the same brute strength of Ddraig or Albion, so if you manage to rival their hosts in power, you will have truly surpassed me."]** the black dragon remarked. **["It would be quite a feat, and I implore you to consider it as one of your goals despite your shorter lifespan. You would make me...very proud."]** the dragon's voice became softer at the end.

Tyson chuckled. "There's that dragon pride again. Guess I have no choice."

Issei and Vali clashed overheard, unleashing powerful blows whose shockwaves could be felt from across the schoolyard. After forcing the Sekiryuutei back, Vali's wings opened up and he held his hand in front of him.

**[Half Dimension!]**

The Sekiryuutei took a few moments to catch his breath as the dimensions warped once again. Azazel chuckled, but only Tyson was close enough to hear it. "Hey kid, watch this." he said, smirking.

"Yo, Issei!" the Governor called out, catching the boy's attention. "You know how Vali's Divine Dividing can cut things in half, right?"

"*Huff* No shit, Sherlock! I know that already!"

"Well, did you know that he can divide other things as well? Say for instance, Rias Gremory's chest size?" That caught Issei's attention, and he froze instantly as his mind quickly broke from the image of the redhead with a small set of breasts.

"What!? He can't do that!"

"Actually, he can. If he beats you right now, he could go around and reduce the size of each and every woman's chest in the world until they're flatter than pancakes. You wouldn't want that, would you?"

Issei trembled, clenching his fists in rage. "No, _no!_ I won't let you do that! You monster!" he roared, glowing a bright red while the announcement of **[Boost!]** was called over and over in rapid succession. "Rias' boobs are perfect and I won't let you reduce them!"

Vali stopped for a moment. "Wait, what?"

Xenovia's boobs are amazing just the way they are! Asia needs all the boobs she can get, and if you take anything away from Koneko she'll have nothing left!" he shouted, powering up until his aura created shockwaves.

Azazel laughed like a maniac as he created a barrier of light to block the flaring green energy. "Hahaha! This fight is ridiculous! The Sekiryuutei can unleash this much power just by thinking about shrinking a girl's chest!?" Meanwhile, Vali was smirking.

"So he's gotten even stronger. Good. Come on, Hyoudou!" Vali shouted, and Issei complied by flying at unbelievable speeds to land a solid hit on Vali's chest. The White Dragon coughed up a glob of blood, which flowed from his helmet.

He responded by gripping Issei's outstretched arm and crushing his knee into the Red Dragon's chin before landing a solid hit upon his head. Issei only staggered for a moment before jumping back into the fight.

Vali was surprised. 'His technique is still horribly sloppy, but he's gotten much faster and stronger than before.' he thought as he unleashed a barrage of blue lightning. Issei dodged many of them, but whenever he was struck he was stunned momentarily.

One particular bolt of electricity managed to hit Issei as he was approaching for a punch. The shock caused his muscles to seize, preventing his blow from connecting. Vali took the opportunity to wind up a powerful blow which landed straight in his opponent's face. Issei's helmet shattered completely, showing his beaten and battered face.

Tyson had enough of watching a childish brawl between the two dragons. 'If this keeps up, one of them is really going to be killed!' he thought, frantically. 'But what can I do? I'm just a human, and I have nowhere near that kind of strength!'

**["I have an idea."]** Vritra said, inside of his mind. **["Normally I wouldn't suggest this because it could backfire, but this may be our only way to stop them."]**

'How much is it going to hurt?'

**["No idea, I've obviously never tried to take control of someone's body and turn it into my own before."]**

'_What!?'_ Tyson's eyes widened. 'You want to do _what!?'_

**["As I said, I suggest we try something unique. You said it yourself: you do not have the brute strength to rival those two. However, I have much greater control over my powers than you. If we can find a way for me to take temporary control, we may be able to subdue them."]**

'This idea is crazy, you know that right?' Tyson asked, and the dragon grunted.

**["It goes without saying that this could kill one or both of us for good. You willing to try?"]**

Tyson ground his teeth together as he weighed his options. Azazel noticed the man's internal struggle but said nothing. 'Alright, let's do it. This is probably the _worst_ idea I'll hear in my life.'

Vritra chuckled. **["Perhaps. I'll need you basically surrender your mind and body to me. Release your hold on reality."]**

Tyson attempted to do as he was told, but it was far more difficult than he imagined. 'How the hell am I supposed to do that!?' he asked.

Vritra hummed in thought. **["Sit down and meditate. Perhaps that will help."]**

Tyson sat down cross-legged before closing his eyes and focusing his mind inward. He imagined the black prison dragon in all of his glory and power. He imagined himself riding upon the back of Vritra as he flew through the air. He imagined the unbelievable power and destruction the dragon could cause.

Suddenly, Tyson's mind went blank.

He appeared in his mindscape, standing across from the black prison dragon himself. However, unlike the last time where he was afraid, Tyson only felt peace. He felt a small connection of power, and he grasped it with his mind. Moments later, his body erupted into agony.

He tried to scream in pain, but no sounds was released. His body was suffering too much for him to utter a single word. His brain could barely comprehend the level of pain he was feeling, but he saw Vritra enduring the same pain.

The dragon was grunting in effort and pain as he tried to link the two of them together. His bright red eyes were closed and Tyson could see the dragon's teeth grinding together in exertion. He felt a pull, and decided to let it take hold of him.

It was an unusual feeling, to surrender your body and mind to someone else. It was like being driven somewhere in a car; what happens to you is up to them rather than you. Your destination and your fate is willingly put in another's hands. However, this was much more painful.

After a few moments, Tyson reopened his eyes in reality.

This time, his eyes glowed a bright red.

He felt stronger than before, _much _stronger. So much stronger, in fact, that he felt like he could destroy cities. Looking down at himself, he realized that he was covered in an aura of darkness that blanketed him in a shroud of black, leaving only his red eyes glowing through the cover.

He noticed he could see everything much better, and he could smell much better too. All of his senses seemed to have been heightened to a ridiculously high level, and he could see a slight silhouette of thermal energy radiating from the world around him.

'Vritra, did it work? I'm still in control of myself.' he asked, mentally. The dragon was silent for a moment, but Tyson could hear what sounded like heavy breathing.

**["I'm still here, partner. *Huff* This is incredible!"]** the dragon cheered, and Tyson raised an eyebrow as he panted slightly.

'What do you mean? What happened?'

**["I'm here, Tyson! I'm here! It feels like back in reality once more! This freedom feels amazing!"]** Vritra exclaimed, but Tyson was still in the dark. **["When I tried to take over your mind, I failed. Instead, it would seem our minds and bodies have synced completely! I feel everything you feel, see everything you see, and hear everything you hear. It is as if we are the same person!"]**

Tyson's eyes widened. 'Wait, you're telling me that we accomplished something even greater than what we planned on? How!?'

**["I have no idea, but I am not going to complain! Quickly, let's stop the two Heavenly Dragons!"]**

"Right!" Tyson shouted out loud. Most of the audience shifted their attention between the two fighting dragons and the man on the ground, shrouded in darkness. Suddenly, Tyson's aura grew until it caught fire, burning the darkest black that anyone had ever seen.

Vali and Issei continued their fierce battle, however. Tyson grunted in exertion as he held his hand forward. "Alright, Vritra! Let's put these two in their place!"

**["Right!"]**

Tyson's shadow aura shifted before two sets of shadowy chains erupted from his hand. They moved extremely quickly, fast enough for neither of the combatants to see them coming. Within moments, they had wrapped completely around both the White and Red Dragon Emperors, holding them in place.

"What the hell is this!?" Issei shouted, struggling to break free. Vali tried to do the same, but failed.

"Tyson, what is the meaning of this!?" the Hakuryuukou demanded. He was met by another set of chains, then another, and then one more.

Soon, both Heavenly Dragons were bound by chains made of shadow. The calls of **[Boost!]** and **[Divide!]** gave them the power to weaken their bindings.

However, one announcement of **[Delete!]** was all it took for both of them to plummet to the ground, powerless.

Tyson huffed in exhaustion. The two dragons continued to struggle against the chains, but Tyson lit them on fire in order to burn away whatever power they could muster. For good measure, he created eight spears of dark flames that pinned each of them to the ground by the links in the chains.

Vali and Issei grunted in exertion as they tried with everything they had to break free. Tyson clenched his fist, tightening the grip the chains had on them. He squeezed until they went completely limp, passing out from lack of air.

After noticing that there was no more struggling, Tyson collapsed to his knees while panting heavily. His senses returned to normal and his body felt weaker than it ever had before. His aura dimmed and his eyes returned to their original color. Azazel hummed in interest.

"Now, what might that have been? I don't think I've ever seen you do that before." he remarked. Tyson would have responded, but he was so out of breath that the only thing he could manage was to take greedy gulps of air as if his life depended on it.

Sirzechs approached, taking a quick glance at the Red and White Dragon Emperors that lay unconscious on the ground. The chains that held them had vanished, but they remained motionless. "Indeed. To witness both Heavenly Dragon Emperors taken down in such a fashion is unthinkable, especially by a human." he said, turning to Tyson. "You are much stronger than you seem."

After a few minutes of rest, Tyson fell on his back in exhaustion. "I hope you enjoyed that Vritra, because as great as it felt then, it feels like shit now."

The dragon was huffing in fatigue as well. **["It was exhilarating, but I must agree with you. That *huff* is not something we can do often."]**

Azazel looked at him. "Just what did you do anyway? I don't recall you being able to boost your own strength to such a level." Tyson shook his head, still lying on the ground.

"Vritra had the _bright idea_ of taking over my body and mind temporarily, but instead we ended up linking or minds and bodies together. Gave a huge power boost and my senses felt extremely sharp, but now I feel like I just got hit by a truck at light speed."

Azazel chuckled, being bursting out into full laughter. "You did what!? You combined your minds and bodies together? I don't think I've ever heard something so ridiculous! Almost as ridiculous as Issei getting stronger from boobs!" he exclaimed, remaining hand on his knee as he laughed.

"Do you know what this means!? This is the discovery of a lifetime!" the Governor said. "To be able to combine yourself with your dragon means you can tap into the very essence of his power! Imagine what you could do with years of training!"

Tyson chuckled weakly. "Yeah I bet you'll want to study me again, huh? Too bad, I won't be around for it."

Michael approached with a confused expression. "You are part of the Khaos Brigade as well, yes? Why have you chosen such a dangerous path?" he asked.

Tyson looked to the side, away from everyone. "There are answers I need, and they are my ticket to getting them. I wasn't told that we would be fighting you guys today, just that we were here for the peace conference. Vali's mind can only take one track at a time, and it usually goes toward combat. This was probably just his way of having fun after a full week of boredom."

Azazel and Tyson shared a look before the man on the ground nodded, giving him permission to speak. "Vali's team isn't really interested in war, apparently. The Old Satan Faction is the one behind that. Although Vali and Tyson are technically our enemies in this conflict, they're not to blame for the attack itself."

Rias stepped up in shock. "You mean we're just going to let them go after all they've done!?"

Azazel fixed her with a cold glare. "We are. We need to focus our efforts on strengthening our own forces so that we can fight the Khaos Brigade when necessary. Spending our time and effort hunting down Vali's little team is a waste of our resources, especially if their goal is not the exact same as the rest of the Khaos Brigade."

Sirzechs quirked an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that, Azazel?"

Azazel sighed. "This is going to be one hell of an explanation. Tyson, I hope you understand that I have to spill a few secrets to keep you guys out of our crosshairs."

Tyson chuckled. "Kinda figured that would be the case. Like I said, I'll try to keep us on track for our real objective."

The red headed Lucifer let out a drawn out sigh. "Well, we may as well make it official then. Are our Three Factions at peace?" he asked, to which Azazel and Michael both nodded.

Sirzechs sighed in relief. "Whew, thank goodness. I don't think I have it in me to fight a war any longer. It's absolutely exhausting." he said, slumping over like an old man. Rias sighed at her brother's nonchalant attitude, but Michael chuckled and Azazel laughed heartily.

Tyson managed to stumble to his feet before ambling over toward the two downed dragons. "You two idiots made me do something stupid just to keep you both alive. You'd better thank me after this is all over." he mumbled to himself, picking up Vali's body and hoisting it over his shoulder.

Turning to his surrogate brother, Tyson smiled. "You fought well, Issei. Continue to grow stronger so we can all make it out of this alive." he said, opening a teleportation circle and disappearing.

The weightless feeling vanished, and Tyson was left in the living room with the unconscious Hakuryuukou. The armor of his Balance Breaker had vanished when he lost consciousness, so he was not too difficult for the man to carry.

He was met by Kuroka, who had been sitting on the couch. She looked over the back cushions before her eyes widened. "Tyson! What the hell happened to you two!?" she asked, fumbling before leaping over the couch nimbly and quickly approaching.

Tyson sighed. "The Three Factions are officially at peace, but the Old Satan Faction attacked. Vali may have known about it, but I sure didn't. After a bunch of fighting, Vali attacked the Sekiryuutei and they duked it out for a while." he explained, allowing the girl to assist him in moving the unconscious man to his room.

"And what happened to you, nya? You look like you just sprinted for a few days straight with no rest." she smirked, looking at him sideways.

Tyson chuckled. "Well...I may or may not have combined my mind and body with Vritra's and strangled both Vali and Issei until they fell unconscious." he said, scratching the back of his head slightly embarrassed. The nekoshou purred with half-lidded eyes.

"Oh? You _strangled_ them?" she said, seductively. "I didn't know you were into that kind of thing, nya." Kuroka flirted, and Tyson laughed weakly.

"It's a lot different when it's in the bedroom, trust me. I doubt it would even work on you, since you're stronger than I am."

"We'll have to find out, won't we, nya?" she purred into his ear, sending a slight shiver down his spine. "Anyway, what do you mean by combining your mind and body with your dragon?"

Tyson shook his head. "Honestly, I can't explain how it works. Some kind of weird mind-transfer thing went wrong, or horribly right, and we ended up basically sharing my body at the same time. I felt insanely strong, but the backlash was a _nightmare_."

Kuroka giggled at him. "You've become so strong is such a short time. If you were able to take down both Heavenly Dragon Emperors, I'm sure you could defeat me as well."

A few moments of silence followed as they deposited the man in his bedroom, still unconscious. They retired to Tyson's room, which had since been furnished with a superior quality mattress and sheets that were significantly more comfortable than Kuroka's own. When Kuroka had joked about her bed not being good enough for him, he had merely laughed and said 'no bed is too comfortable to splurge money on'.

After taking a quick shower, Tyson joined Kuroka in his bed. She quickly wrapped herself around him, pressing her assets into the side of his chest.

Tyson decided to mention something that had been on his mind. "So, your sister wants to meet with you soon."

His declaration caused the woman to shoot up in surprise, hand still on his chest. "Really!? You talked to her!?" she asked, shocked. Tyson nodded, smiling softly.

"I told her the situation with...us." he started, and Kuroka's tails began to swish happily. "She tried to kill me at first, but she agreed to talk with you when you can."

The look of pure happiness on the nekoshou's face could not be described as anything other than radiant. She crawled on top of Tyson, straddling him.

"You have absolutely no idea what this means to me." she said, leaning down to kiss him softly. In between kisses, she continued. "I _*chu*_ fucking _*chu*_ love you."

Tyson chuckled as the woman refused to release him.

"I know, I know. I love you too, Kuroka."


End file.
